Angelic Black Wings
by Human Inuaysha
Summary: Angelic black wings adorn a gift from allies, an act weaved in the threads of fate.War, pain, loss, and more come raining down on the lord.What will come of his winged miracle?Only time will tell.AN:character selection is for physical likeness only
1. present

We do not own Inuyasha characters, but the storyline is ours so one can touch!

The girl sat silent in the box like cage the wooden bars laced with silk along with the currents around the cage her hands laced with chain silk. Four men carried the box heading to a castle to give her as a present the girl's wings clipped to where she could not leave the ground. The man sits in a room, his eyes closed as he rests upon a chair, the sounds of cheering as well as booing loud outside the walls. His curiosity piqued, he stands lazily and makes his way to a nearby window. The men stay silent as their pace stayed the same stepping in line in an exact fashion. Pulling open the curtains, the man gazes out the window to the silk covered box, his head tilting a bit in wonder at what was held within. The men walked into the castle gates soon kneeling the box placed gently on the ground. Pulling closed the curtains again; he turns his back to the window and makes his way to the stairs, curious still as to what was going on out there. They stayed kneeled before the main house of the clan in front of the lord's home. Stepping down the stairs into the main hall, he looks side to side for people before beginning to make his way towards the gate he saw the procession enter. The four men stood silent awaiting him. Entering the room where the gate led into, he blinks at the kneeling men and the decorative box, seeing that it was a cage. "What's the meaning of this?"

One man rolled out a scroll and began to read. "A present from the Kenazoki clan to ensure our bonds in these times of war and famine."

"A present? What sort of... present?" the man asks as he adjusts his silk robes, having not long ago awoken to the sounds of the cheers. The man closes to the cage reached in pulling a girl out her wings spreading quickly feathers filled the air as the man forced her to kneel to the ground before the lord. His eyes widen a bit at the sight of the winged girl, blinking a few times as he watches the man force her to her knees, "Wh... Where did she... come from...?"

"This how she was breed how she was supposed to look for a present when needed." The village people began to talk as they looked to the girl. "A present for being loyal to us in our time of need and for future help."

"Breed? She was bred with... wings... like an angel... on earth...?" his eyes fell on the girl, watching her intently with curious and wonder filled eyes.

The girl caught his eyes as she began to struggle again against the man trying to escape the man that held her down the man smacked her forcing her to the ground all the way. "Do not strike her! She's a miracle of nature... she should not be treated thus!" His eyes shot a glance to the man who was restraining the girl.

"She's only half of what you say a miracle is." The man kept her down where she remained silent and still.

"You backtalk the lord of your ally? Unhand her..." he says as he walks towards the girl and kneels to one knee, pulling his robes tighter closed, his other hand reaching out and touching her wings lightly.

The man shrugged letting go. "You think she is a miracle." The girl looked up to the lord her fangs bared her eyes turning demon like as she lounged at the lord biting into his arm drawing blood her hands still tied by the silk.

Falling back from her lunge, he winces at the biting into his arm, watching as the other men step towards her with hostility in their eyes, "No! Stand down!" Silently, they stop, the lord's eyes moving back to the girl, showing no anger, pain, or fear, "Why do you attack me so girl, I mean you no harm, I unlike these men find you amazing and don't wish to hurt you..." he says as he reaches for a dagger at his side, lifting it and slashing the silk around her wrists loose.

Her claws outstretched digging into his arms now as the men who brought her pulled her off tying her down again. "Now you see why we did what we did as I said she is no miracle she tried to slay you just now even though you gave her chances she still wouldn't listen." the men tossed her back into the silken cage.

Standing, he glances to his arm, gripping it lightly after resleathing his dagger, "Nonsense... if she'd wanted to slay me she'd have gone for my throat, she's just scared."

"She is yours to tame now we hope you accept our gift." The men stood leaving the clan.

"It's accepted... she's in better hands here anyway..." he says as he approaches the cage, kneeling down beside it and looking in at the girl, "simply amazing..." The girl growled at him fiercely as she reached out swiping across his chest drawing blood unable to reach his throat that time. Wincing at her attack once again, he stumbles back a bit, his squatting kneel now becoming a full kneel as one knee hits the ground, "Don't you see, I do not fear you and you have no reason to fear me?" She growled more backing into the cage as she watched the only thing visible was her crimson red eyes. Wrapping his injured arm against his now injured chest, he lowers his head a bit, "I see... so it'll take you some time to learn I'm not going to harm you..." She sat back in the small silken cage a low growl still escaping her lips as she watched him. Standing slowly, he steps away from the cage slowly, "I must dress my wounds and change into actual clothes... I'll return for you."

She watched closely her wings going down. "Lord Inuyasha would you like us to take her into your chamber?"

"Take her into the garden... I'll go to her there." He says as he begins to ascend the stairs towards his bedroom to change his clothing. The men nod as they pick the cage up carrying it away to the garden. Closing his door, he begins to remove his robes, stepping towards a window that overlooks the garden as he removes the silk fabric. "Hostile... but that'll change." They set the silken cage on the floor soon she began to thrash about struggling to escape now the men struggling to keep the cage from tipping over. Calling out from his window, his chest visible through the opening in the wall, he yells down to the men, "Set it down and release the latch... then get out of the garden and seal off all entrances and exits to it!"

They nodded one man staying behind to release the latch the girl leaping out before he could run she pinned him to the ground biting down into his jugular strangling the man with his own blood before she pulled his throat out. She looked to the other men running toward them, but did not reach them for they had closed the doors tightly sealing her in with the dead man. Shaking his head at the incompetence of the men, he closes his eyes and turns to move to his closet, taking his clothes from it and beginning to dress, his robes a fine crimson silk. She went back to her cage lying down on the pillows blood dripping from her fangs.


	2. Rescue

Finishing dressing, he steps to the window overlooking the garden. Stepping from it, he leaps down, landing on ledges on the way down before finally reaching the ground, unarmed. The girl looked up from where she laid on the soiled pillows now growling watching him. Opening his arms, he turned slowly, showing that there were no weapons on his form, the soft silk robes swishing in the wind. "I've no intention of harming you girl, relax." She struggled to get up or at least sit up only to slip on the pillow laying still her growl starting to grow louder with every step he took toward her. Glancing around to make sure the servants had shut and sealed the doors completely, he looks back to the girl, arms still open wide. "You have nothing to fear from me." She didn't even try to get up out of the cage she sat up weakly leaned back against the cage a dark staring across her chest as she struggled for breath. Looking to the side of the cage at the man she'd attacked, he became certain the man had perished, his focus now moving back to the girl as he lowered his arms to his side, the long, soft sleeves of his robe covering most of his hand. She let out a weak whimper unable to move struggling reaching up to her chest trying to pull a small dagger out.

Finally spotting the dagger, he glances back to the man spotting the empty sheath at the mans side. "I told them not to harm you... but he feared for the life he lost... here... let me help you..." he says softly as he approaches the cage slowly. She looked to the man tears rolling down staying as far as she could from him. Pulling the pins that hold the cage together, he allows the side nearest him and furthest from her to fall away, leaving but three walls to the cage standing. Stepping up to her slowly, he shows her his empty hands, kneeling down in front of her, "I want to help you." She growled at him fiercely swiping him hard across the face leaving five deep scratches before she fell to the cage floor unconscious. Wincing at the attack, he shakes his head a bit as if to shake off the pain. "Not very trusting are you...?" he mumbles with a shaking of his head, his hands slowly taking her shoulders and rolling her onto her back. Kneeling beside her, not worried about his own pain, he looks down at the dagger, dark blue eyes beginning to fade to a lighter, icy blue color. His demon powers in use now, he slowly cups his left hand around the dagger, his right hand taking hold of it's hilt. With a swift jerk, he yanks the dagger from her chest, quickly pushing the palm of his left hand against her chest, a very cold touch leaving a thin layer of ice over her wound to both numb it and stop the bleeding.

Her eyes opened slowly whimpering weakly her hands at her side as she looked up to him. Pulling his hand slowly away from her chest, he glances at the dagger, gripping it in both hands, the entire length of the weapon beginning to look like a block of ice. Satisfied the weapon was useless now, he tosses it away, watching the icy blade shatter on the soft ground of the garden floor. Once again looking down at the girl, his eyes begin to darken again, his powers being repressed so his touch would no longer be freezing. She tilted her head nuzzling into his robe no longer feeling pain or loss. Tilting his head a bit at her seemingly instant change of heart, he slowly reaches down with soft hands and brushes her hair back a bit from her face, "Are you alright...?" She nodded lightly to his touch closing her eyes slowly smiling. "Come... the ice is meant to be a temporary fix... leaving it too long could make you sick. I'll take you to the imperial doctor so that he can mend your wound properly." That said, he slowly slips his right arm under her neck above her shoulders, his left slipping under her knees at the bend. She laid calmly in his arms her wings dragging on the cold ground that had barley anytime to dry from the night's shower. Standing fully, he braces her body against his and starts to walk towards the front entrance to the garden. "Open the gates!" he calls out to the men on the other side. From the other side comes the guard captain's voice, "Yes Lord Inuyasha! Alright men, open those gates!" She watched from what she could see of the men opening the gate she soon looked back to the man that was carrying her. As the gates opened, the sounds of metallic clanking could be heard, the servants that were once there were now replaced with armored samurai who were now kneeling to their lord. "Lord Inuyasha?" the captain spoke up from his place on the ground, "All is well master swordsman... tend to the fallen man in the garden, I will take care of the girl." A soft nod accompanied by the mans voice speaking his acknowledgment of his orders was the last sounds made by the men until Inuyasha and the girl had disappeared from their sight. Tears rolled down from her dace as she tried to open her eyes.

Seeing her face, he smiles slightly, "Here now... you'll be ok, none of that..." Glancing up at the door to the imperial doctor's quarters, he spots another servant in the hallway, "You there, open that door," he says glancing at the doorway to the doctor. She started to move around in his arm a low growl escaping her lips. Glancing back down at her, he listens to the creaking of the door as it's opened, his arms holding her against himself lightly, "Come now... you will be unharmed..." Smiling at her, he enters the doctors quarters, carrying her towards a large wooden table, a voice coming from the other side of the room ringing out, "Who dares enter my..." As the man turns, he instantly stops talking and kneels, "Many apologies lord Inuyasha, what can I do for you m'lord?" She looked to the new man her claws forming a fist ready to attack at any time. Slowly laying her on the large table, he places his right hand on her forehead, pushing her hair back from her face a bit. "Rise master physician, I require your service. My... gift... has a stab wound from a servant whom tried to defend himself from her assault... I require of you to mend it, carefully." The girl struggled as she started to regain her strength she snarled her claws digging into the table.

Ignoring her hostility, he shakes his head, looking down at her as he lightly brushes his hand through her hair, "T'is alright... the good doctor is going to heal you..." The doctor rises slowly, seeming fearful of going near the girl, replying to Inuyasha with a shaky "Hai."

She growled pushing herself up off the table lounging at him pushing him to the ground biting down into his arm. Seeing her, he quickly turns and moves to her, placing his right hand on the side of her head as she bites into the doc's arm. "Release him... he is going to help you..." he says as his touch begins to grow cold slowly, hoping it would lure her off of the other man before she killed him. She clamped down one last time before her body started to feel weak as she fell beside him blood dripping from her porcelain fangs. Taking his hand from her quickly, he kneels beside the doctor and places the icy hand on the man's arm to stop the bleeding and numb the pain, "Are you alright master physician?" As he speaks, he looks back to the girl, watching her breathe to be sure she was all right as well. She watched him carefully unable to really move now her body numb. Once he finishes icing the doctor's wounds, he represses his powers once again, taking the girl back into his arms and carrying her back to the table. She growled the only thing she could do.

Once again running his hand over her head, he awaits the doctor to come and do his thing, eyes turning to the doctor, watching him shift around a bit on the floor. The girl's growls muffled as she closed her eyes slowly. Finally, the doctor begins to slowly stand, his injured arm hanging limply at his side, "I'm sorry lord Inuyasha.." Shaking his head Inuyasha speaks softly, "She is dangerous and is untamed... we must work quickly and carefully..." She watched the two men carefully shaking now in fear now that she could not attack to protect herself. Slowly, Inuyasha's hand brushes over her head, "Calm... no one here intends to hurt you..." The doctor finally reaching her side takes out some bandaging materials and herbs. A weak cry escapes her lips watching the doctor now carefully. Slowly the doctor places some herbs on her wound, one causing the ice to melt slowly as the rest began to work on her wound. After doing this, he hands Inuyasha the bandages, "I'm afraid one arm is not enough to bandage well m'lord... I'm sorry" Nodding softly, Keiji lightly begins to work to bandage the girl, watching the doctor move away and begin tending the wounds on his arm. The girl stared up into his eyes a cool color showed now.

Looking back down at the girl, he spots her eyes focused on his and smiles as he finishes wrapping the bandages over her wound. "Now... you should heal well, I have faith in my doctors knowledge of medicines." She whimpered lowly her eyes closing halfway looking at him sadly. Lifting his right hand, he begins to run it softly over and through her hair once more, slightly petting the girl, wondering if it would soothe her. Her eyes finished closing as she fell asleep against his body. Smiling, he slowly removes his hand from her head and picks up the remaining bandage material, moving to the doctor and helping to bandage the wounds in his arm. She stayed silent watching the two. Finishing with the doctor, he returns to the girl's side, replacing his hand on her head and petting her gently once more, "How're you feeling?" She stayed silent just looking up at him. Slowly slipping his arms under her once again, he scoops her up against him once more, "I'm taking her to some quarters that she will be able to call home, she, as well as everyone else will be safe with her there." Her wings still dragged her body still weak unable to move beside opening and closing her eyes.

Slowly walking, he leaves the doctors chambers and begins to walk down the long corridor towards his own, intending to use the secondary royal chamber intended for princes or princesses that there were currently none of. Her eyes trailed from the floor to him watching him. Approaching a tall set of doors with jewels embedded in the hardwood frames, he pushes open the door, the lavish bedroom filled with silk sheets and curtains, many female robes of silk hanging in the closet as well. The room apparently had last housed a princess, since Keiji himself didn't live on the castle grounds as he grew up. The girl noticed the material objects her eyes closing. Walking over to the bed, he slowly lays her upon the silk sheets, "You will be staying here... as much as I hate to do it... I will be having to lock you in and have armed samurai guard the door... at least until we're sure you've calmed..." The girl looked up to him once more before she fell into a deep sleep. Grabbing a blanket of fur, he tosses it over her lightly, pulling it up around her shoulders and brushing his hand over her head, "A miracle of nature you are... deserving of the highest respect of even the lords of these lands..." After finishing talking, he walks to the main door, opening it and signaling for some guards to lock and guard it. After doing this, he moves to the other door that led from the secondary chambers into his own, "I will leave my door unguarded... simply because... I do not fear you... and you should not fear me..." She slept silently under the furs barley moving as she rested. Pulling the door closed between her room and his, he begins to disrobe before making his way to his bed, glancing back at the door for one moment before climbing into his bed and covering himself, slipping off to sleep.


	3. Answer

The girl woke with a start quickly running at the main door scratching clawing into the wood trying to leave she growled banging on the door now. The sounds of banging coming from the next room over, snap Inuyasha from his sleep. Slowly opening his eyes, he throws back the fur blanket and silk sheets, sitting up on the side of the bed. Suddenly realizing what was going on, he jumps to his feet and pulls on his hakama, running to the door between his room and her's, yanking it open. Her ears went back picking up the sound on the other side growling at him now seeing him as she backed against the wall. Tying the sash around the silk pants, he slowly begins to make his way towards her, arms outstretched to show he was unarmed, the moonlight through the window shining over his exposed chest and arms. "Calm down... no one here wants to hurt you." She growled at him once more warning him to stay away from her eyes growing dark and cold unlike the night before. Coming to a stop, his head tilts ever so slightly, his body shifting slightly as he kneels down several feet from her, "Is there something you need...?" The girl watched him slowly as she moved toward him slowly. Keeping his arms open and at his sides to assure her he was unarmed and had no intention of hurting her, he watched as she approached, remaining silently sitting upon his knees.

She stopped as she looked at him. "... Men are servants to other men and those men control the woman. Then in turn they own souls they call unclean and needing to be saved..."

His head tilted at the first words he'd heard her speak, a bit bewildered by her words. "Finally you speak..."

"...You control the men below you. Like the night you tried to kill me..." Her words were cold and dissolute.

His eyes blink at her words, his right hand lifting to his chest and pressing against it, "I tried to kill you...? You're mistaken... I have no intention of harming you, let alone killing you..."

"Your hands numbed me I could not defend myself then a man came as well." She let out a low growl.

"My intention was not to harm you... my intention was to save you. The man you attacked stabbed you... I merely tried to ease your pain and stop the bleeding."

"He was one of the men you controlled yes?" She smirked some her fangs showing.

"He is... was, a loyal servant who obeyed me yes... it was not my intention that he be killed. I don't wish death on any of the men that follow me..." Shaking his head a bit, he looks back at her, "They are men that have pledged their loyalty to me... I do not control them because it is my will, I merely ask of them to do a task, and they do so because of their loyalty to the throne... my throne."

"... Man says mine, or my surly a lot especially men of high stature... while others below ask and gravel for help or plea for something to call theirs..."

"I don't know what you saw where you were raised... but if you take a look around my lands, you'll see nothing but prosperity. My people do not lack anything; there is plenty to be had here. Those that pledge their loyalty to the throne do so because they are grateful."

"I was no present your kingdom will fall with me within these walls once you opened that cage you brought with you death and fear. One by one your men will kill one another... I am no miracle..."

His eyes roll a bit, a slight chuckle escaping his lips, "I disagree, you are a miracle of nature... an angel who walks with men or so you seem. Within these walls will be your new home, for here you will find that you will be free, when it is believed you can be trusted."

She smirked as she stretched out her arms reaching back to the marble hairpin. "I'll give you to three."

His body remains motionless, no fear in his eyes, no scent of fear emanating from his body, his eyes remaining steadfast as he focuses his attention on her, "You'll give me three 'til what, you attack me? I don't fear death, if it be my time may the reaper take my soul." She growled at him once more throwing the knife like pin at his feet. A slight smirk plays on the corner of his lips as he reaches for the pin, eyes remaining on her. "As I said, "if it be my time"" Closing his eyes for a moment, he curls his hand around the pin, a soft steam like mist rising from it, the subtle sounds of crackling ice filling the air. She growled at him tears starting to stream down. His head tilts, eyes opening slowly as he releases the pin, the ice he'd formed had not harmed it, but rather added a subtle shine to it in the moonlight. "Is it really so hard to trust me?"

"You try and be raised like I was watched carefully to see what I do next, ever little mistake I did beaten." Her eyes closed halfway. "My job is to kill this clan at any means necessary."

"Is it your will to do that though...?" Speaking softly, he pulls the pin from the floor and stands, making his way to her slowly, "I knew that those people were not to be easily trusted... jealousy has clouded their eyes as they have not half the prosperity of my kingdom in their own."

"What will you do now I am an assassin brought to your kingdom with one goal in mind."

A slight smile spreads over his lips as he once more kneels, now within arms reach of her, his arms extending over her head with the pin still in hand. "What will I do... quite simple actually, I'll do nothing any different than I have since you arrived here. The men that sent you here are the ones at fault, not you. They will be the ones to be dealt with, not you."

"If I do not accomplish my goal the others you call miracle's will be sent to the pits of the furnace of hell!" She screamed at him.

Placing his hands on her head, he slips the pin lightly back into her hair where it had been before she threw it at him, a bit of a smirk playing on his lips. "Fear not... if it is your friends you fear for, then I will do my best to assure their safety as well..."

"...They are counting on me to protect them... the younger ones are not even allowed to see daylight the furnace right beside the cages. They watch as the old miracles are thrown in the ones who disobey."

"How are they supposed to know if you fail or succeed... I may have a plan..." he says as he adjusts the pin in her hair and sits back on his knees, seeing that he had got it in the right spot and smiles a bit.

She sat silent looking down. "Three days..."

"Are they coming here in three days?" He asks, glancing at her, his right hand moving to her chin to lift her face to look at him, "I won't let them kill your friends..."

"... If I am not to return to them... they will parish..."

"You are supposed to go back to the other clan?" His smirk spreading once more as he glances to the door.

"With your head in a gunny sack..." She sad coldly looking into his eyes.

His head tilts back a bit as he begins to think through on his plan. "We have three days time to plan out all of the details... but I am ready to put an end to them... this could be the chance to do so... and save your friends in the process..."

"...How so... why would you help me... someone sent to kill you."

"I've suspected for sometime that they would turn on us... it's not fair of them to use you... I hold no fault against you, for you're merely trying to save your friends... however... if they are like I believe them to be... killing me and my clan will not save your friends..." She looks away from him sadly. His hand reaches for her cheek, drawing her focus back on him, his eyes focusing on her's. "We'll get to the bottom of this and make sure they never use anyone like they're using you again."

"... After I will be nothing, but a creature of the wilderness to hide just like my friends.."

"No. You were brought to me... not in good intentions, but nonetheless, you were brought to me... You will have a home here... safe from those that wish to harm you... as could your friends if they so choose..."

She nodded her eyes closing slowly. "... I am sorry...for err... killing a man... and going after you and the other guy..."

"You were merely doing what you thought would save your friends... Now... we'll do this the proper way. I may have a plan, but it must wait 'til morning so that I can discuss it with my samurai captain..."

"... You don't expect me to sit by and wait do you I only have two days..."

"Please... just wait 'til morning... I promise... when morning comes, we will devise and set a plan into motion to rescue your friends and put an end to this once and for all..." She looked at him before clenching her fist slamming into the ground hard drawing blood. His hand quickly reaches for her's, pulling it from the floor, his free hand cupping around her fist and holding it lightly. "Tomorrow morning when all are awake... I will call a meeting of the samurai... we will do this... but please... for tonight be patient and try to rest... we will need your help..."

She looked down nodding still angered for having to wait. "...Fine but, if I was you I'd lock your doors."

Shaking his head a bit, he lightly cools her bleeding hand, not icing it over as he had done with her previous injury, but rather just cooking it in an attempt to soothe the pain away. "I told you... I don't fear death... when my time comes, then my life will end... if it is by your hands I'm meant to die... then so be it." Slowly standing, he turns his back to her and begins to walk towards his room, his head turning back to her slightly, "Rest well... the morning light will begin the meeting..." This said, he enters his room, leaving the door wide open as he makes his way to his bed, climbing back into it. She lay back down on the pillows of the room pulling the furs up to her chin her hand ice cold. Slipping back under his covers, he removes his hakama and tosses them on the floor, keeping his body hidden beneath the furs and silk sheets all the while. Slowly closing his eyes, he begins to once more drift into a silent slumber. She sat there tears rolling down sadly wanting to save her friends badly. She got up from where she sat getting up struggling to get the main door open. His eyes open once more, the slumber he had almost fell into interrupted by the sounds of footsteps in the next room. "Can you not sleep...?" he calls out to her softly from his bed. She stopped quickly sitting down by the door staying silent. Again he speaks out to her, sensing her location somewhat easily. "If you need... you may come in here and I will sit up with you..."

"... No... you need your rest... for the morning..." She said sadly before making her way to the pillows.

"As do you... but if it will help you rest... I will sit up with you 'til you fall asleep..." he calls out from his bed, still under the covers.

"No I am better alone then with another..."

Nodding softly, he slowly closes his eyes once more, "Please rest... I'll need you in the morning..." With that, he slips off to sleep.


	4. Planning for War

The female, having decided to agree to the lord's request, lays by the door sadly. As he sleeps, Inuyasha's form can be heard tossing and turning a bit, his sleep not peaceful at all as he envisions past events, a nightmare that haunted him often making his sleep a restless one. "No... please no... don't... don't take her aw..ay..." his words come mumbled, but audible, obviously talking in his sleep. Slowly, Kagome gets up from where she nestled on the floor, walking to his bed side quietly, her steps silent like morning due forming on a leaf petal. Again his form tosses and turns, his back turning to her, eyes facing towards the window, arms clenching the sheets. "No... please... don't take her from me... I'll give you any... everything... my kingdom for her life." Slowly the girl's wings spread, hands moving up, plucking one of her softer, gentle, dark feathers, placeing the small feather on his forhead. The girl stands there silently, watching as the soft feather disappears into Inuyasha's forhead to soothe his sleep. Slowly, the male's body begins to relax, his body rolling back, coming to rest flat on his back with his face to the vaulted ceiling. His eyes slowing their rapid motion behind their lids begin to relax as well as his sleep begins to become more restful, a slight smile appearing on his lips. Wings folding once more against her back, Kagome leaves his room quietly, making her way back to the door to once again attempt to rest, curled in a ball, her wings covering her body. The rest of the night proves restful as no sounds can be heard coming from the man's room aside from the gentle sounds of the tiny inhabitats of the garden singing their songs of night. Closing her eyes, Kagome struggles to sleep, finding it useless. Moving to the barred window pane she places her hands on the cold silver of the metal. Outside the windows, high over the garden, hung a waning moon, spreading a soft blue light over the kingdom, the rays breaking through the windows of the two roomscast their light on the inhabitants within. The man's smile continues to grow as the night wares on, the soft sound of his body moving agaisnt the silk of his sheets spreading through the otherwise quiet rooms. Silently she sits, her pale hand rubbing the pane softly, leaning against the window seal, her dark wings dragging on the ground everytime she moved. 

The hours pass by slowly, the night seeming to last forever though the moon disappearing slowly behind the castle walls tell a different story. Nearer and nearer came the morning sun, the peasants with smiling faces begin to awake and take on their daily duties to further the prosperity of the kingdom that they lived in and enjoyed. Watching the movement outside the walls, she perks up a bit, dark wings shimmering in the light that began to shine through the multicolored window. As the morning light began to shine through the eastern facing windows, the man's eyes slowly opened, deep blue orbs shimmering in the early morning light. Sitting up slowly, he places his hand on his forehead, as if he felt something there that didn't belong but finding nothing, merely shrugging it off. With a smile still set upon his lips, he moves to the edge of his bed, pushing back the silk sheets and furs and climbing out of bed, his eyes moving to his pants laying on the floor, his bare form seeming slightly pale in the soft light. "Ah, another fine morning," he says as he stretches, seeming to have forgotten that the female was but one room away and the doors were open, his restful sleep leaving him in a seemingly blissful mood. The girl's ears perked up a bit as she heard his movement, moving silently to his room, foggy footprints left behind on the laqured wooden floor boards. Slowly lowering his arms back to his side he begins to walk towards his hakama, eyes on the silk pants as he moves towards him, not hearing the girl's footsteps on the other side of the open doors. "...Sama... you look funny like that.." the girl said as she sat softly on his bed, watching him. His ears perked quickly at the sound of a female voice from nearby to him, the sudden realization of his naked form in the eyes of her caused him to flush, cheeks reddening to a soft crimson hue. Quickly he gathers the silk hakama in his hands and begins to pull them on, "You're up bright and early, did you sleep well?" "You didn't Sama... who was the lady...?" she spoke softly, looking to him still, not really understanding if she was doing anything wrong or not. "Hmmm, what ever do you mean," he asks in a tone that seemed to grow more serious, his nightmares having been a secret that he held, not wanting anyone else to know, yet now she did and he knew it. Pulling the silken pants over his legs and up around his waist he begins to tie the sash around them to keep them in place as he turns to face her, still slightly red from the embarassment of her seeing his fully exposed form. She sat silent for a moment before speaking once more, "...a girl you would sacrifice your kingdom for?" Inuyasha's movement came to an immediate halt as he was assured she'd heard him speaking in his sleep during a nightmare that had haunted him all too freaquently. Head lowering a bit, he diverts his eyes from her as they begin to shake a bit with pent up emotion threatening to break free. "That was a long time ago... it's the past now and there is nothing I can do about it..." was his reply, voice seeming shaky as he spoke. "...when you free the others like me i will make those dreams stop," came the soft voice of the female, her eyes still turned upon him. Slowly, his eyes lift to face her, eyes still shaking slightly as the light from the morning sun strikes them, making them shine as the light reflects from the moisture collected along the bottoms of the orbs. "These are my demons... I appreciate the offer... but I feel I must conquer them myself..." 

Slowly moving towards her once again, Inuyasha looks to the door, "We should call the meeting and get started on planning our attack... there are many things to be considered before we begin." Unmoving, the girl speaks, "...the people will use ground stratagies when they attack. Explosions from hand made bombs and such," all the while looking to the ceiling of the room. Inuyasha's eyes turn back towards her, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "You will be a great asset when the planning for battle begins as you know the enemies strategy... come with me... I will send for my generals." Kagome sat silent, not moving from the bed, "...I am not allowed to be in meetings.." Stopping, he turns to face her, arms folding lightly over his bare chest as his eyes fall on her, "And by who's command is this?" "...for your safety..." Kagome says, looking down sadly as she speaks once more, "I am still under their control... Everything I hear that is stratagy for you they will hear..." Nodding slowly, Inuyasha makes his way to his closet and takes a silk yukata of pearl white from it, pulling it on. "I understand... So, they must already know of your treason...?" Looking down still, she speaks in a shaky tone, "...whatever I do I can not please anyone..." Tears begin to fall, splashing lightly on the polished wooden floor. "...I hear their cries..." came her voice once more, distressed and seemingly in pain. Stepping to Kagome, he kneels infront of her, placing one hand on her leg and the other on her chin to draw her chin up to look into his eyes, "If this is the case, then we will waste no time. Surely if they know of your betrayal, they will take action, I will take them by surprise with speed and aggression... I will not fail your kind..." Standing quickly, he makes his way for the door, grabbing a katana from it's place on his wall as he nears the large wooden doors. "Stay here and rest, I will return to you as soon as I can... with your people in our care..." Not waiting for her reply, he pushes open the doors and steps out, pointing to a man outside, "Call together the generals and make haste, we move for battle in one hour's time." As Inuyasha leaves, Kagome moves back to the glass window pane looking out from her new perch, tears still rolling down her face. "It's too late for my kind..." she says quietly, a slight smirk appearing on her lips, "...as will your's by noon." Ears twitching lightly, Inuyasha thinks he hears her, but merely shakes it off as he begins to move down the long coridor towards the strategy room, other men passing by the still open doors towards the same place as the minutes after his exit pass by. 


	5. Foreboding Winds of Change

The girl watched the little men below like toy soldiers. Smirking her nails going down the side of the window pain. After nearly an hour passes by, Keiji appears from the room, geared up in a suit of deep crimson armor, katana at his side resting beneath the belt about the waist of his armor. His lips can be seen moving as he spouts orders to the other armored men exiting behind him, though her perch would be too far away for her to clearly understand him. She sat watching them carefully scanning their formation the data being transferred to the other side. His arm lifts a bit, the other men all turning to face him, with a nod of his head, he waves his arm quickly through the air across the front of his body, the other men bowing and spreading out to gather together their troops. Lowering his head a bit, Keiji's form slumps to one knee, finger drawing a symbol on the ground before quickly wiping it away. "Today... today is a day of bad omen... the winds of change blow over the land... is today to be my last day... will I join you in the afterlife this day...?" he speaks quietly to the wind. Watches them quietly before standing walking down the steps of the hallways her wings up although she could not fly she could attack and kill a man in mere seconds.

Walking towards the front of the castle, he hears the soft sounds of footsteps on the nearby stone steps. Glancing up, he spots her descending, "We move to battle... please... for your safety stay within the walls..." she stayed silent as she moved past him following the men out to the fields. His hand reaches out to catch her arm as she moves past him, his head tilting a bit at her seeming to ignore him. "Did you not hear me...? Please wait for us to return within the walls where you'll be safe..." She looked up to him her eyes a dull color blankly looking at him like she worried about nothing. As he holds her arm still, his head lowers and shakes slightly, "I know you feel it too... today holds a foreboding air... winds of change blow... please... for your safety stay here." As he finishes speaking, he releases her arm and begins to walk past her, the large castle gates opening slowly, the armies of his kingdom gathered outside the walls in rows and columns. She followed behind him stepping in the mud and puddles making her way out not understanding what he said. As he walks between the rows of men towards the front, he looks side to side to see that every man was prepared. Taking note of all the prepared faces, seeing no fear in the eyes of his well trained troops. The sounds of footsteps following behind him causes his eyes to fall to the ground, "You are coming with us then?" She stays silent marching along as if she had no mind or will to think.

As he reaches the front of the army, he waves over a peasant that was holding the reigns of a horse of the purest white. Mounting the steed, he looks down to the man, "Fetch and prepare another horse for battle, our guest will ride by my side into combat so ready it well yet with haste." She stopped beside him her feet covered in the thick mud shifting around in her dress striking the horse in the left hind leg standing still as the horse began to buck. Yanking back firmly on the reigns, the male's eyes widen a bit, grip tightening as he dug his heels into the steed's flanks, "Whoa!" As the horse begins to slowly become eased, his right hand reaches to stroke its mane, eyes looking back towards her, "What manner of action is that...? Is there something wrong...?" As he speaks, the peasant returns with a dark haired horse adorned with silver armor of the finest quality, bringing it towards the woman. The girl began to walk back from him growling a bit just like she had been the first day she was brought to him.

Steadying his horse fully, he dismounts, handing the reigns to the same man that had brought the horse for Kagome to ride. Walking towards her slowly, he removes the crimson helmet from his head and tucks it under his left arm, "Come now... if you're going to ride with us to save your comrades we must mount and ride now..." Her eyes were dark and cold growling loudly as took off into the woods her claws out ready to attack. Watching her take off with such speed, he quickly mounts back upon his steed, "Form up and prepare to move on the enemy. I will join you when I have retrieved the girl... you know what is to be done, may fate guide those with honor to true victory." This said, he looks to his head general and bows his head before pulling on his helmet and kicking at the flanks of his horse, the pure haired steed immediately going into full trot towards the woods.

Heads into the thicker brush crawling under fallen in trees through the mud her body half covered with the wet mud as she hurried quickly.  
halfdemoninuyasha2003: Riding as quickly as he could, the pure white of his steed's form began to collect the deep brown of the mud as it trotted onward at full pace. Eyes blinking against the misting rain, his head turns side to side, still trying to find her, instructing with mere jesters of his hand for the horse to continue following the tracks left by the female in the mud. The tracks stop slowly a few feet a small figure in the mud laying motionless. As the tracks begin to grow closer together, meaning that the one he trailed had slowed down, he dismounts, tying the horse to a nearby branch. Removing his helmet once more, he places it on the horn of his saddle before beginning to follow the trail on foot, eyes falling on the mud soaked form lying before him.

The figure struggled to get up only to fall after trying to run snagged on something that was hidden. Approaching the figure slowly, he steps up to its side, kneeling slowly, the knee guard of his crimson armor sinking into the soft mud as he does. Reaching out with his right arm, he places his hand upon the figures left shoulder and rolls it onto its back. The girl looked up to him weakly her eye color the ones she grew soft on her leg caught in a fox trap blood soaking the mud her body covered head to foot wing to wing. "Why did you run from me...?" he asks as he looks over her form to find the reason for her collapse, soon spotting the trap that had caught her leg. As he awaits her answer, he moves down to her leg and places his hands on the trap, fingers slipping between the teeth of the metallic object and beginning to pull it open.

"...I don't know why I am out here..." Tears roll down from the pain.

As he finally gets the contraption open, he pulls it from her and tosses it away. "You seemed strange back there... I had a horse fetched for you to ride out with us but... something wasn't right... you struck my horse then fled to the woods. As we speak my men move to attack the enemy... I came in search of you."

"...I remember sitting on your bed Sama I don't remember any of the events you just told me now..." She didn't move from the place she fell to hurt to try and run again.

His head tilts a bit, "Strange indeed then... you came out to the field with me and my men... you seemed intent on riding with us... until you ran away from me..." Slowly slipping his arms under her, he lifts her from the mud and starts to walk towards his horse.

"...Sama I don't trust myself... you shouldn't either... " Mud drips off her wings.

"Their control over you is still pushing you to fulfill your mission... that must be the fact... but worry not... that control will end with their demise all too soon..." he speaks to her in a gentle tone as he approaches his horse, standing at it's side so as to sit her in the saddle, lightly laying her over it at first before helping her into a sitting position. Stays still her eyes closed halfway blood dripping down her leg. As he gets her into a sitting position, he moves to her side, looking to her leg. "This demands immediate attention..." he says as he grabs the bottom of his yukata that protruded from the bottom of his chest plate, ripping a long strip from it's hemline. Taking the strip, he begins to wrap it around her leg somewhat tightly, not so much as to cut off circulation, but tightly enough to stop the bleeding after a short amount of time. She looked up to him sadly licking his chin thanking him that way. Looking away a bit as he feels the touch of her tongue on his chin, he finds himself slightly reddening. After dressing her wound, he climbs up onto the horse behind her, his arms moving to either side of her waist to grab the reigns and tug them lightly to instruct the horse to turn around and begin to walk slowly back towards the castle, no words spoken. Her head rested against his chest as she fell asleep in his arms rain starting to come down.

The horses gallop was slow, the rain soft against their skin as the two rode back toward the castle. Feeling her head leaning back against his chest, he looks down softly to see her eyes closed, a slight smile crawling upon his lips as he realized she'd fallen asleep between his arms and against his chest. Tugging back on the horse's reigns a bit, he instructs that it's pace slow more to make the ride gentler to allow for the girl to sleep. The rain hits her face softly the mud rolling down slowly showing her pale complexion.

Arms around her keep close to her form to keep her from shifting and falling from the horse, his eyes remaining locked upon her face, his smile remaining soft and kind. He couldn't seem to break his gaze away from her, something about the way the rain caressed her flesh caused him to find himself lost in her. She stayed still the mud almost faded now against her gentle porcelain face her eyes remaining shut. Slowly his right hand passes the reigns to his left before lifting up and brushing her hair back from her face, fingertips lightly brushing against her skin. Her eyes opened slowly to show her brown hues that shimmered from the light that hit the snow. "Are you alright..." he asks in a gentle tone, his fingers still lightly touching her skin as he looks down into her eyes, his own seeming to smile.

She nodded faintly her eyes soon falling away from his as her eyes closed slowly. "...Its to late... your men have been slain as well as mine.."

"Wh... What did you say...?" he asks a bit bewildered by the girls words, eyes widening as he comes to realization that she had just told him of his men's deaths.

"They are all dead... gone to the other side of this world... my comrades thrown into the fire the youngest first... I am the last of the ones you call miracles..."

"H... how could this happen... my plan of attack... my men were to ambush the armies of mine enemy from the forests... how could they lose... how could they... parish..." his head turning away as he speaks, eyes shaking in anger and sadness.

"...They used my eyes to watch you and the way your men moved..." She sat silent against him not even shedding a tear not even sounding like she really cared.

His head lowering, he pulls back on the reigns of the horse, signaling for it to stop, "If such is the case... then returning to my kingdom will mean certain death for us both... without my armies to defend it... they will surely move to capture my lands..."

"... Your land burns now everything you have is gone..." Her eyes opened slowly. "...The only thing you have now is a traitor who let your people die at the hands of your enemies..."

"It's as I said this morning before leaving the castle walls to lead my men... the winds of change blew this morning... it felt foreboding, yet I still told them to march..." he says, head lowered more, "I suppose it was fate... fate that you ran... that I followed you... fate that I would live to watch my kingdom fall... fate led me away from death..."

"What will you do now you have nothing now." She spoke quietly looking to the fading trees falling silent.

"But you are wrong... I have my life, which I owe to you... for if you had not fled I surely would have met the same fate as my men..."

"..I was under their control if I hadn't have been caught in that fox trap you would have been slain by your own men who were feet away from where you found me..."

"Fate... fate is a cruel mistress... but I suppose I can not complain... I do have my life... as do you have your own... We have our lives... a horse... my sword... and my armor... it's not much... but it's a start toward a new life..."

She shook her head. "I do not have a life... once there is no need they will slay me..."

His hand quickly slides down and cups her chin, holding it so that she looks into his eyes, "What use do they have for you now...? Your mission is complete... do you really think they will waste their time to hunt you down and slay you?"

"My job is not done." Her hands go to his throat pressing hard her eyes a dull color.

His body tenses a bit as her hands close around his throat, feeling his breath being cut off. Closing his eyes slowly, his eyes begin to shake behind their lids. Coughing slightly, he try's to speak, his voice weak with lack of air, "If... it is... my time... then... it is my time..."

She growled at him fiercely. "Fight back damn you!"

His eyes flutter a bit, head and body growing slightly limp as his life faded, "I... cannot... I have no quarrel... with you... my life means nothing..." Coughing, his voice becomes strangulated, "All I have is my life... and you... if my life is in.… Your hands... then... so... be... I..."

"She is no longer available." Her voice was cold no longer feminine sounding. "She is long gone if you wish to save her then fight!" Her face was tense her voice cracking.

His eyes slowly opening look into hers once more, faded in color as his life was drained from him, his hands lifting slowly to grasp lightly at her wrists, "I can't... fight... you... when you... are in her..."

"How weak and pathetic you are!" A smirk slide across her pale lips. "I can kill her after you are dead... she's holding out for a hero so sad she is dieing slowly by the darkness in her heart... She feels comforted by the darkness for some reason... maybe because her hands are strangling you she feels that she is to blame..."

"A hero... I am not... I failed her once... already..." his eyes fading begin to turn to a light blue, his skin becoming cold as his body begins to try to naturally defend itself.

"So you will let her die alone and abandon that is what are doing to her now!"

His skin growing colder begins to grow a pale color, almost as if becoming icy itself, his hands on her wrists quickly growing colder, "Leave her... alone..." His skin growing colder begins to grow a pale color, almost as if becoming icy itself, his hands on her wrists quickly growing colder, "Leave her... alone..." She smirked licking her porcelain fangs. His eyes flutter, as his breathing grows shallow, barely any air entering his lungs causing his body to grow weak, the exhaustion of his energy towards his power making him increasingly weaker, his body shaking. Colder still his flesh grows, crystals of ice growing on his claws, intensifying their sharpness. Her head tilted slowly to the left the snow glittering the fangs before she pierced into his flesh. His eyes widen as far as they can as his flesh is pierced, his blood flowing, warm against his ice-cold skin. Eyes fluttering still, he begins to close his icy touch tighter around her wrists, ice coated claws lightly piercing her flesh. A dark liquid rolled down from her wrist as she licked the cut thoroughly.

"Let her... go..." he groans as he feels her licking at his cold flesh, her warm tongue combined with his own warm blood 'causing that one spot to lose it's icy touch, though his claws still piercing her wrists do not.

"...How tasteful and plentiful your soul is... How do you think your men felt when the demons of lower rank ate not only their flesh but, their souls..." As her voice whispered into his ear showing that she felt no pain. 


	6. Cruel Past

"Let... her... go..." he says breathlessly, body beginning to give out as his energy drains his strength, his body's natural defense starting to lose strength.

"Why should I?" She smirked smiling as she began to giggle like a boy killing ants with a magnify glass playing god.

Eyes closing and body beginning to lean heavily to one side atop the horse, he begins to slip a bit, his grip on her wrists releasing slowly, "Because... she's... not yours... to control..." She continued to smile the smile fades slowly a black liquid rolled from her lips a spot on her chest as well began to roll down as her grip loosened falling to the ground like a fallen angel her body motionless a figure in a flowered Kimono stood the boy at her side as the girl looked up to the man barely breathing the chills going through his body the girl in the white flowered kimono from his dreams standing before him once again. His eyes open as his throat is released, his body still moving side to side a bit, weak from the lack of oxygen. Seeing the girl from his dreams, his eyes blink a few times, unsure if she was really there, or if he was seeing her spirit as his own ascended from his body. Slowly, his eyes close again as he falls from the horse, his armor clattering as it collides with the ground, eyes closed as he slips into unconscious, breathing slowly growing back to normal.

The dance began on the damp wood the flames running across to heat the area around them the girl sat quietly beside him her wings spread out her wound on her chest and armed patched lightly. The man's wounds had been patched as well carefully and neatly. The girl in the white flowered kimono sat feeding the fire for the yellow and red dancers the horse tied to a tree by the reins.

Coughing lightly, his eyes slowly open, body shifting slightly causing his armor to clatter once more. With a groan, he slowly opens his eyes, finding himself on his back staring up at the sky, his eyes falling to his side to spot the winged girl sitting there, "A... are you... alright...?"

The girl laid motionless a black collar around her neck. The wind blew her feathers ruffled up at the cool wind. "She won't wake until I want her to." The girl in the white flowered kimono walked over placing a warm rag over the cut as she began to change the bandage around his neck.

His ears twitch lightly at the sound of the other voice, his eyes blinking slightly as he hears the rustling of her kimono, turning his head to see her as she places the warm rag on the fang marks in his neck. "Am I... dead...? What other... explanation... could there..."

"Your not dead." She giggled lightly. "If I didn't save you, you could have been." She placed a new cloth over his cut smiling. "There your wound is healing nicely."

"You... saved me..." he inquires weakly, his body remaining almost motionless. Closing his eyes slowly, he lays his head back, looking up at the sky, "She doesn't want to kill me... it's them... controlling her... the bastards that destroyed my armies and razed my kingdom..."

"I know." She looked to the girl with the clipped night like wings. "I control her now with the little black collar."

"Is she alright...?" he groans, his head turning back to the girl with the wings, eyes opening slowly to look up at her still form.

"Yes for now anyways." Stands slowly. "I wanted to find her anyways."

Placing his hands on the ground at about the level of his ribs, he pushes himself slowly into a sitting position, leaning back against a log behind him, "What do you mean "for now" and why were you looking for her...?"

"Those feathers I need them... for my village then after that I will let her go..."

"You need... her feathers...?" he asks as he begins to unfasten his armor. "What village...?"

"That I can not share." She looked at the boy curiously. "I feel that I know you in some weird way."

His eyes turn away from her as he removes the breast plate of his armor, revealing the red silk haori beneath it, "You... can't share the information about the village...?"

"I do not know you, but I feel I do."

"You don't... know me..." his voice was inquisitive though he tried to make it sound like he was telling her that she didn't know him, though he knew that he recognized her.

Nods lightly smiling at him. "I will take the girl off your hands now."

"No... She doesn't go without me..." he says beginning to remove the leg plates of his armor, tossing them beside his chest plate.

"Why not she's under the control she'll try to kill you again you do know that don't you or do you want to die I can always fix that for you..."

"She doesn't want to kill me... I know she doesn't..." he says, his head lowering as he flashes back to the look in her eyes as she attempted to choke the life out of him, "It's not her that's trying to kill me... and I will not abandon her..."

"She doesn't remember you with that collar on she's nothing, but a body that lives"  
"I will not abandon her... if she goes... I go... I won't let them or anyone else have her... She's not a bad person... she's a miracle of nature... one that is abused and has been forced by evil people to do things against her will..."

"She has no soul once I let her go she will not know right from wrong."

"You're wrong... she has a soul, a good one that doesn't want to do what she's forced to do... she needs me... and I won't abandon her!"

"You're wrong... she has a soul, a good one that doesn't want to do what she's forced to do... she needs me... and I won't abandon her!"

"You don't understand once that collar is placed on her soul was casted away her soul will not return to that body."

"If that's the case... then why did you put it on her... what gave you the right..."

"To save the people one life for many."

"You are no god... you have not the right!" he growls, his head growing light and seeming to spin with dizziness, still weak from the extreme lack of oxygen he'd faced before, his mind not fully recovered.

"If you do not want me playing God I will kill you like she was." Draws a small dagger that had been sheathed between her breasts.

His right hand reaches across his stomach to his left hip, gripping the hilt of the katana held there, but shortly there after releases it, "What does it matter... I've lost everything now... you've taken her from me... all that's left for me is my life..."

"If she matters to you, I will give you her body you can try to bring her soul back after that."

His head lowers a bit, "And if I cannot... as you said it would be impossible...?" His hand fiddles with the hilt of the katana hilt, the thoughts of ending it all himself dancing in his head, the pain of losing all that was important to him causing him to think of things that had only ever crossed his mind once before.

"..Would you rather her suffer at the enemies hands watching her body kill you... Would you let her suffering continue on...? At least now she isn't suffering." 


	7. Lost Soul

His eyes lower to the ground as he leans against the log still, arms crossed over his chest as he focuses his attentions on the girl with wings. "What's to say she's not suffering now... a soul without a body... taken from the only person that cared about her... taken away from the world before her time..."

"Do you think she actually thought you cared about her?" She sat by the fire feeding the fire.

"I would think it'd be obvious I did... despite her treachery against my kingdom... despite her attacking me countless times... despite all things she's done to change my life... I never once doubted the good in her... I fought to keep her safe from those that wanted to control and kill her... I trusted in the goodness of her heart..."

"Do you really think that was true did she show you that she cared or had feelings?"

"I don't know how she felt towards me... or if she even cared about me at all... but I could see it in her eyes, each and every time I looked into them... A pure, innocent soul that didn't want to hurt me, or anyone... I could see it in her eyes..."

"...She's no longer suffering anymore..." Looks to the dancers in the floors.

"How can you know that? You ripped her soul from her body, you tried to play god!" he exclaims, finding himself growing tired with each emotional outburst, his body still weak and in need of physical rest.

"You can have her body afterwards." Lies down under a tree closing her eyes.

His voice takes on a growl, growing slightly deeper as he again addresses her, his head beginning to feel as though it were spinning, "You're no better than my enemy... taking control of the girl for you own selfish desires..." That said, he slides down on the ground, laying his head on the log with his body on its side, facing the winged girl.

The winged girl remained silent she didn't even look like she was breathing anymore. "Its not my needs, but the ones of the village..."

"Could you not just take the feathers you need and go? Did you really have to put that damn collar on her and take her soul as well...?" His eyes closed slowly, trying to resist the feelings that welled within him, all making him tired and pushing him to the verge of unconsciousness once more. She stood slowly putting blankets over the two before she sat by the fire once again her eyes closed halfway. Turning his head down towards the ground a bit, he allows his eyes to close fully, though he fights to stay awake and aware, fearing that the woman would try to leave with the winged one as he slept, not wanting to let that happen.

She watches him smirking a bit. "You fear me a woman."

"I fear nothing... not even death... but I refuse to let my guard down... at least until I'm sure you're not my enemy..."

"I am not your enemy if I was then you would be dead I wouldn't have bandage your wounds." Pulling his sheathed katana from his side, he hugs it into his arms, his left hand holding the sheathe, his right holding the hilt as his eyes relax, growing nearer to a sleeping state, though he does his best to avoid falling asleep right away. She watched him smiling a bit. "You spared my life... that much I agree on... but I'm still not sure how well I can trust you... since you've taken from me the only other thing I have left..."

"I told you that you can have her afterwards."

"What good does her soulless body do me... I'm no sorcerer... I've no power over souls..." his voice came soft, just barely audible as he became increasingly tired, finding it harder and harder to resist the urge to fall into a slumber. She walked over slowly picking the winged girl up. His eyes slowly open, though feeling heavy, glancing over to the winged girl, "What are you doing... I told you, she doesn't go without me..."

"You have no need for her now you won't even try to bring her back..." Looking down to him. "Just like me..." Lifts her left foot before smashing her sandal into his head knocking him out.

Gripping at the katana's hilt, he begins to draw it as she speaks, "I said you're not, agh!" His body rolls to the other side as the foot slams into his forehead, his body going limp, his katana sliding away from him and out of his arms reach. She closed her eyes before opening them staring down at the boy tears streaming down as she walked through the forest silently the girl's black wing's dragging behind her as the lady in the white flowered kimono made her way up the hill. His body remains motionless upon the ground for a while, eyes shaking behind their lids as the days events replay in his restless mind. The girl stopped resting for a little bit sitting on a rock her feet in the dark water the angel girl knelt down her eyes dull as she stared to the woman who took her. As his memories grow near to the events that had just happened, his body begins to move a bit, eyes attempting to flutter open. With a jerk, he sits up, yelling out as if she were still there, "I said you're not taking her!"

The girl leaned down beside the stream taking a sip from her cupped hands. "So the hunt begins." 


	8. White Flowered Kimono flashback

The morning sun broke over the horizon, the sounds of men in the courtyard practicing their sword skills with wooden practice swords filling the early morning air. With a bit of a yawn, he slowly opens his eyes, his body rolling slowly, arm draping over the stomach of his wife, "Good morning my dear." Her eyes opened slowly rolling to face him smiling kindly up at him. His hand moves up and cups her cheek softly as he leans down and presses his lips to hers ever so gently, kissing her good morning for the first time as her husband, their wedding the night before still fresh on his mind. She giggled at his kiss smiling still as she sat up in the bed looking to the windowpane listening to the men outside grunt as they practiced.

Still lying on his side, he trails his fingertip down the exposed flesh of her naked body, his eyes full of the excitements of a new lover. "They're a bit noisy aren't they," he says with a bit of a chuckle as his fingertip trails over her side gently.

She shivered lightly as she looked to him blushing. "…That tickles..." She giggled lightly before pulling on a light blue robe standing slowly.

Slowly climbing out of bed as well, he stretches out, his exposed form caught in the light of the sun casting a shadow on the floor. "Did you sleep well?"

"…Yes when you finally let me rest of coarse." She giggled lightly as she walked into the next room placing her hands on the windowpane smiling watching the men below.

After taking a moment to dress himself, he enters the room behind her, stepping up close to her and folding his arms around her waist lightly, his head tilting down to press a gentle kiss to her neck, "T'was our first night of bliss... one I shall never forget I assure you."

She nodded lightly. "Maybe our first night of bliss will bring us our first child..." She continued looking out the window starting to hum lightly.

"Nothing would bring me a greater pleasure than to have a child with you my beautiful flower." Smiling, he gently pulls her back against him and holds her close, happy to have finally married the one he had loved for so long.

"I'm glad I no longer have to stay in this room during the cold nights." Her eyes closed halfway. "I know I am far to young, but I do not mind."

His head tilted down, lips pressing to her cheek try to reassure her that everything is well, "You're not too young... many girls your age marry... I am glad that you have decided upon marrying me..."

"...You were the only suture that I had after your men destroyed my kingdom of course..."

His eyes turn down, head turning away as she mentions the destruction of her kingdom. "The lord there was an evil man... I lost many good men to his ninjas, attacking like cowards from the shadows... It could not be helped... I hope that you can forgive my actions of the past... and focus on building our future... together..."

She nodded lightly her eyes closing slowly. "...At least when your men came in they killed my parents and siblings quickly."

"I apologize... no one should have to go through what you did... but I could not continue to allow the senseless murder of my men to go unavenged..."

"...I know.." Her eyes stayed closed. "Maybe this is for the best that I am with you now... I make you happy don't I."

"Of course you make me happy... from the moment I laid eyes on you... I knew I wanted to be with you... one way or the other, I needed to be with you..."

"...You mean when your men carried me in covered with blood of my friends, family and comrades." She turns her head to the side looking up to him.

"No my beloved... far before that I knew I had to have you... but our kingdoms were not on good terms... I don't know if your father discussed it with you... but I offered him my allegiance as an ally in exchange for your hand in marriage... but he declined me... and continued to send his ninja... When My men were dispatched to your kingdom... they had orders to bring you here alive and unharmed..."

"Taken from the life that I lived in and taken from my family to your hands I only saw you once when you came I didn't know the sound of your voice till you came to this room your men carried me to..."

His arms loosen around her a bit as her words strike him like heavy blows from a war hammer, "I did not intend for us to meet under such circumstances... you must believe me when I say I had no other choice when it came to your father's actions against my kingdom..."

"...Then you should have slain me... I am no different from the men my father taught to fight..." Her words cold filled with sadness. "...Yet I couldn't protect anything..."

His arms fall away from her as her words again hit him like a blunt object smashing into his chest. Slowly, he makes his way to the bed in the room, sitting on the edge of it, "I'm so sorry... I didn't want any of this to happen... all I wanted was to have a chance to get to know you and possibly take your hand in marriage... this isn't how I wanted that to happen, but your father would not take my offer of allegiance... instead he attacked my kingdom..."

She walked to him slowly leaning down kissing his cheek softly before smiling at him placing his left hand to her right check. "...If it was my time to die so be it then..."

His hand lifted to her cheek by her hand lightly caresses the tender flesh, slowly slipping down to her hip, his other hand lightly moving to the other side of her hips, "You're a very strong girl... to have witnessed the deaths of your family... and yet still marry the one responsible... and actually love me..." His head lowers, forehead pressing lightly to her stomach, "What did I do that fate would place you in my hands... what have I done to deserve one with such strength, beauty, intelligence, and love."

"... I am not strong I could not even protect the younger children your men forcing me to watch such abuse..." Tears rolled down slowly sliding across his hand gently. "...If I was fated to be in your hands I will remain in your hands..."

His hands moving up to her cheeks draw her down slowly, pulling her into a gentle kiss as his arms move down, folding about her waist. His love for her was real, and his want to make her feel stronger, to help her calm down was strong. Closing his eyes, he attempts to deepen the kiss ever so slightly, only to find himself interrupted by the loud call of a soldiers trumpet, a signal of war... 


	9. Kidnapped! flashback part 2

She looked up to him not hearing the drums until just now. "...What does that sound mean?" She looked up to the man that held her close with both his arms around her waistline.

Quickly, his hands move to her cheeks and cup them, his form moving to stand up from his place on the edge of the bed. "Lock yourself in our room and whatever you do, don't come out until I return, that trumpet and those drums signal an attack on the kingdom... please... stay within our room..." Just as quickly as he'd grabbed her cheeks, he releases them and jogs into their room, grabbing his katana from its mount on the stonewall.

Follows him quickly her light blue robe dragging across the lacered flooring. "I want to come with you please."

Sliding the katana into the sash around his waist, he turns to face her, taking her cheeks into his hands once more, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "I could not bare losing you on the field of battle... for your safety... please stay here and await my return..."

"...If you were to die how will I know..." Tears rolled down her porcelain cheeks softly across his fingers.

Shaking his head softly, he leans his head down and presses his forehead to hers, deep blue eyes locked on her own. "I will return to you... this I promise..." Reaching up to the mount where his katana hangs, he grabs a smaller weapon, placing it in her hands, "Take my wakizashi... if somehow they enter the castle... use it to defend yourself..."

She nodded sadly. "...I don't want you leave you though..." She wraps her arms around his neck tightly shaking lightly.

"You'll be safe here... I could not bare to lose you on the field of battle... I promise I will return to you..." Folding his right arm around her waist, he hugs her tightly against his chest, his left hand's fingers trailing lightly through her soft hair, "I promise..."

She nodded sadly sitting down on their bed her eyes closed halfway trying to hold back the tears on the way. "...Then I shall wait for you m'lord..."

Leaning down, he lifts her chin a bit with his left hand, pressing his lips to hers once more before standing and exiting the room in a rush, pulling the door shut behind him. As he makes his way to the armory, he can be heard even by her calling out orders to the scrambling foot soldiers and mounted samurai. She scrambled to her feet to the door that was already locked pressing her ear to the thick wood that held a few creaks to be she could peer out trying to search for him among then men who had weapons in hand. Emerging from the armory, now fully clad in his crimson armor, he climbs upon the white horse brought to him by a peasant, the horses flanks and head adorned with armor of the same crimson hue. She placed her left hand onto the cold metal of the door handle. She watched him until she could no longer her eyes feeling with tears once more. Heels digging into the hindquarters of the horse, he begins to gallop at a fast trot towards the main gate of the castle walls. Right hand moving to his left hip, the last thing she would see before he disappeared from her sight would be his weapon being drawn. She went to her stain glass window that shown through the colors falling on her body. She often sat in when she had been brought to him her arms folded around her waist as she lay her eyes half open her blue orbs staring down to the gates.

As he rides out into the field of battle, he encounters the enemy. The armor and flags of the men seeming to catch him by surprise. Much to his dismay, the flag claimed the men to be from the armies of his lover's father, though he thought that to be impossibility. Back at the castle, many footsteps could be heard scrambling up and down the stone hallways, but little to anyone's knowledge, there were other footsteps, footsteps on the stone roof above the lord's room, steps that would go unheard until it was too late.

"...You promised to return to me... you promised her eyes closed finally as she fell asleep against the window pain. His blade, already coated in the blood of his enemy deflects an arrow fired towards him. Dismounting from his horse, he charges into a small crowd of pike men, a sudden wind blowing over the field causing him to glance back at the castle, something didn't feel right, something disturbed his thoughts. Her eyes opened slowly sitting up slowly looking around feeling an unsettling feeling. As the battle rages on outside, the lord's already crimson armor gaining more color as it's bathed in the blood of those slain by his blade. Back at the castle however, all was not well. In the room next to that of the lord and lady came a loud crashing sound, one of the stained glass windows there exploding into the room as a group of men, their garments easily making their ninja status known, enter through the window, weapons drawn.

She remained where she sat her eyes focused on the men's clothing before she let out a low growl. "Why do you wear the clothing of my people...?"

The ninjas remain silent as they spread out around the room, two moving towards her as the others set to work searching through the lord's room as if they were looking for something important. She kept the weapon close behind her back watching them carefully growling still as she sat up from where she sat. The two ninja that approached her both lifted their swords and pointed them at her, "Come quietly..." The others shortly return from the lord's room, "The family treasure's not in here... the lord will be most displeased."

She quickly moved at the first man striking him across the throat the second man hitting him right below the shins.

Those that came from the lord's room quickly draw their weapons and circle her, all of them pointing their blades at her. "Come now m'lady... you dare attack warriors in the service of your brother, the lord?"

"I have no brother he was slain!" She looked around quickly for an exit. "I am now part of this clan and the current lord is my new husband."

As the ninjas close in on her, the keep weapons uplifted, one reaching behind his back for a weighted chain. "You're wrong m'lady, your brother survived the heinous attacks by the men of this clan. He was seriously wounded and has lost his left eye and right arm, but he did survive... he's sent us to regain your father's treasure. We didn't expect to find you here, your brother will be most pleased when we return you to him."

"I do not wish to return to that weak clean now this room at once this is no place for men like you to be."

With the flick of his wrist, the ninja behind her tosses the weighted chain, the group watching as it wraps itself around her legs. "You will come whether you like it or not!" She screamed her free arm still carrying the smaller version of a katana swinging madly trying to fight a long as she could. With the skill that the highly trained ninja possessed, they gathered around her, one using his own blade to deflect hers long enough for another to get near and grab her wrist, using his free hand to disarm her. Outside in the hallway, the sounds of clattering armor could be heard, along with the lord's voice calling out to his wife. She let out a scream as loud as she could biting into one of the man's arms struggling to break free.

Hearing her scream, the man runs down the hall and kicks open the door, blood soaked katana in hand. "Release her" he yells out at the ninja, only to find that as quickly as he'd entered, they had already taken her, a cloud of smoke filling the room as they make their escape out the window and seem to disappear, leaving behind the wakizashi and a small scroll. Written on the scroll were instructions, "Return the lord's treasures to us at the castle of Lord Akashu by nightfall if you ever wish to see the girl again." The girl laid unconscious her hands tied behind her back as the man carried her over his back.

Gripping the scroll tightly in his hand he throws it down, listening to the wooden rollers that it was rolled upon snapping from the impact. "Damn it... they were supposed to be annihilated... where has this army come from, how could they have hidden and built such a force without my knowledge or that of my allies..." Picking up the sword and sheathe, he slides the blade back into its wooden housing and places it in his sash beneath the sheathed katana, now wielding both of his blades. "Don't worry my love... I won't fail you... I'm coming for you..." She sat kneeled down in the forest the ropes tied tightly around her body and arms the men watching her carefully now. Stepping into his room, the lord kneels down and lifts a section of the floor, removing the treasure of his enemy. Deciding it was worth it to relinquish that which they searched for to save his love. Mission in mind and heart, he steps out of the room and returns to the courtyard, mounting upon his horse without a word to anyone, riding off towards the west, towards the fading sun...


	10. Death and a Warrior's Vow flashback 3

The girl sat silent her eyes lowered to the ground to a small puddle her blue orbs staring strait back at her. The men stood around watching her others hidden amongst the tree. His horse runs at full gallop, the sounds of his armor clattering filling the air as the plates bounce against each other from the speed. "I'm coming..." he whispers to the wind as he rides full speed towards the setting sun.

One of the men the one in charge of the kidnapping walks behind her slowly smirking as he whispered into her ear. "...Looks as though he cared more for the treasure he stole from our clan..." Her eyes widen a bit looking away from the leader quickly soon her eyes widen as he draws a dagger sliding it ever so slowly across her back her crimson blood spilling onto the dagger. "...We want to make sure you don't try anything stupid."

The sounds of hoofs and armor can be heard drawing nearer, the gate to the castle being drawn open. As the gate opens, allowing the fading light of day to peer through it, the man adorned in the crimson armor comes into view, his horse still at full gallop. She struggled to see him all ready losing to much blood. "Don't talk and he won't be hurt..." The leader whispered once more before standing with a smile on his face. "Looks like you made it just in time."

As the snow white horse enters the castle courtyard, he dismounts quickly, not even giving it time to come to a full halt. Removing his helmet, he allows it to drop to the ground, right hand reaching under his armor to pull out the small diamond covered golden turtle statue. "I brought it... now let her go..."

"Tell her why you have that statue the one who belonged to her family you know the one your men slain." He smiled more her eyes growing dull.

"She knows why it was done... the statue was brought to me at the same time she was... I was going to keep it for our first born child..." Stepping forward with the statue in his hands, he looks up at her, "Please... I brought what you requested... release my wife to me..."

A smirk slide across the leader's face. "I think her family misses her ever so much."

Kneeling to one knee, he places the statue on the ground in front of himself and steps back a few steps, "I've brought the statue... now please release her and let us take our leave..."

"She will never make it to the castle in time... " The leader snapped his fingers men appear beside the girl the swords drawn the second snap a small thud was heard hitting the ground a pull of crimson blood forming around the girl's lifeless body now two cuts one across her throat killing her instantly the other where the child would be. His eyes widen at the sight of their attack against her, orbs of blue beginning to fill with tears of rage. Stepping forward, he grabs the statue, hurling it into a nearby stonewall causing it to smash before drawing his katana and charging up the steps towards the men who'd killed his wife. The hidden men rushing out with speed cutting him across the face arms and legs slowing him down. The girl's lifeless body laid still her pale hand down two steps the crimson blood rolling down from the steps slowly.

Wincing from the strikes across his arms and legs, his pace slows, though his rage keeps him moving with a warriors grace, his blade returning the deed to those that had attacked him, only his attacks were not minor, for they were fatal. More men continued to rush at him the leader running from where the girl was slain down the steps towards the lord sliding his blade across the ground a fire starting the leaves that caught on fire blew down wind toward the lord the leader smiling within the flames. "...We didn't need such useless antique."

Growling, he continues to fend off and kill those that rush him, charging up the steps with haste, fearing nothing at that moment. The flames licking at his armor cause his injuries to burn, the wounds car arising from the heat, his own power over the ice beginning to kick in to cool his body against the heated attack. "I'm not leaving here without her!"

"She is nothing, but a lifeless corpse this is what you brought upon her... How do you think she felt knowing you didn't make it to her side by night fall..." The flames grew higher men came from behind stabbing him in the back turning their blades tightly within his flesh.

"The sun had not yet fallen when you! You killed her!" he growled, pushing onward though he felt himself growing weaker, his only objective being to gather her body for a proper burial. The flames grew higher to the treetops now the forest starting to burn around the ninjas and the young lord. Unable to withstand the heat any longer, he places his fingers to his lips, whistling for his horse, blade slicing through the ninjas that surround him, one ninja's head severed, rolling down the steps. As the horse nears, he hops onto it, a sword still sticking out of his back through his armor. "I can't... leave without... her..." The leader continued to smile down at the lord with up most pleasure in his kill now his body soon fading from the flames inching down the steps quickly now toward the lord quickly.

Lifting his sword, he eyes the man moving down the steps, "Her body... rightfully belongs... with me..."

"You took her only for that when you raided her clan her life belonged to you the new lord would not stand for that."

"She is my wife... her body should be buried within my kingdom... a kingdom in which she ruled by my side... if only for a day..." his eyes begin to close a bit, his body growing weaker still.

"Go back where you belong let her only family bury her body in the new settlement you already caused her so much pain I heard her cries saying how she was forced to come to you. Am I right?"

"I forced her to do not... she was brought to me by my men as I asked... but I did not force her to do anything, she could have gone free had she wanted... but she agreed to take my hand in marriage... I love her..." his eyes begin to fade, the horse becoming uneasy.

"Go now you retched man!" His blade sliding across the ground once more the flames licking at the horses feet.

The horse's body jerks back from the flames, backing down, "Damn it! This isn't over, I vow I'll avenge the death of my wife, your entire clan will die by my hand!" Groaning, he pulls on the horses reigns, turning it around and beginning to ride back towards his castle at full speed, his body rocking side to side a bit on the horse from his weakness, the sword still sticking out of his back. The leader walked back up the stone steps to the lifeless girl picking her up slowly walking in the upset direction blood dripping to the ground lightly a heavy rain started to fall. The further from the castle of his enemy he got, the weaker he began to feel. After several miles of riding, his body became so weak that he passed out atop the saddle. The man fell to his knees dropping the girl in front of a shrine his body turning to dust.


	11. Happiness' End flashback part 4

The horse continues to charge full speed back to his home, his limp body staying barely atop its mount, arms dangling around the horse's neck as he continues to lose blood, growing weaker by the moment.

The girl laid motionless where the figure laid her blood still rolling down the rain coming down hard now. As the horse nears the castle gates, men and women can be heard yelling out, samurai barking orders for the gates to be open and the doctors called, one man grabbing the horse's reigns. A man kneels in front of the girl's body placing a hand on her forehead moving her pale brown hair out of the way slowly a glow shown bright as she sat up silently looking around the man smiling down to her with up most care as he lifted her into his arms the girl looking up to him blankly as the new man carried her away. As his horse is forced to stop, several men from the castle gather around to hoist the lord from his horse, women with rags and pales of water gathering around to help clean his wounds as the doctor approaches.

The man carried her high into the mountain pass the young girl's eyes closed slowly. "You are safe my wife along with our child."

As he's pulled from his horse and tended to, he groans lightly, the sword being left in his back until the doctor arrives with the materials needed to patch his wounds. Wincing a bit, he opens his eyes slowly, lifting his head a bit, "Where is she... where is the lady... my wife...?"

"...We do not know m'lord we thought she was in your room like you told her to be." A young female told him sadly.

His eyes close tightly, wincing at the images playing in his mind of his wife being slain in front of his eyes, tears flowing from his tightly shuteyes. As the doctor arrives, the men begin to remove the lord's armor to make it easier for the wounds to be dressed.

"... I am your wife and I am with child...?" She questioned curiously looking up to the man carrying her up the mountain pass until finally reaching a small village in the rocky walls and on the cliffs he made his way toward a small hut laying her down on a matted bed. As his injuries are tended to, his eyes open, his mouth wide as he yells out in pain, not from the injuries themselves but for the loss of his love, his eyes still overflowing with tears of sadness and anger. Head falling once more to the dirt, his body slips into an unconscious state, going limp once more.

The man who carried her up the pass placed his warm hand on her cheek softly. "Rest now more beautiful love." As the man's eyes open once more, he turns his head side to side, blue orbs glancing to the stonewalls all around him as he lay on his stomach on the bed in his room. Coming to the realization that he once again was alone, he knew she had been taken... that it wasn't just a dream, he began to cry once again. The young maiden closed her eyes slowly her light blue orbs fading. The young man petted her cheek softly until he knew she was asleep smiling down to her. "Welcome home little sister..."

Arms bending at the elbows, he presses his palms to the bed, trying to push himself up but finding it to be an impossibility, the pain shooting through his body instantly driving him to his stomach again, wincing on the verge of passing out. The maiden slept silently in the bed a thick blanket pulled over her wounds totally healed. After a couple hours, the man hears his door opening, head turning in an attempt to see who was entering. With a grimace, he turns his head away at the sight of the head samurai of his armies, "I've failed... I failed her... why does fate let me live when I've not done anything to deserve life... I should have died there with her..." The samurai lowers his head and kneels to one knee as he listens to the lord speak. The man who brought the girl in moved out of the hut to the forest out to hunt. As the lord stops speaking, the samurai stands and makes his way to the bedside, holding out a scroll. "I sent a unit of men to the enemy castle... all that remained were the charred remains of ninja... the girl's body could not be recovered... I'm sorry for our failure my lord..." The maiden woke after a few hours of resting the young man sitting beside the bed smiling down at her.

After a few hours of laying in the bed, the lord slowly forces himself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, taking the scroll and looking at it, not really wanting to see it's contents, knowing it was an apology for the failed recovery of his wife's body, knowing it would only further prove that it wasn't just a bad dream as he'd hoped. A young female entered the room with bundles of bandages in hand to change his wounds. His head turning away, he sits the still unopened scroll on the window seal, his arms lifting to cup his head a bit, lowering it slowly, bangs covering his eyes that welled up with tears once more. The girl moved to him slowly unwrapping the used bandages to replace with newer ones staying silent worried about upsetting him further. Flinching slightly in a bit of pain as the bandages are changed, his head remains cupped in his hands, the tears lightly falling to the floor below. She stayed silent as she wrapped the garment around him slowly the last bandage being tied on.

As his robe is draped over him, he slowly stands and turns to face her, "Tell the doctor that I appreciate the caring hands of him and his assistants. You've done well, take some time to rest yourself now..."

She nodded lightly. "Thank you m'lord the people of this clan are sorry to lose your fare maiden."

His head lowers a bit at her mention of his loss, "As am I... as am I... thank you once again for your care..." Turning his back to her, he moves to the window, looking out at it with his eyes upturned to the sky. She leaves him silently shutting the door behind her letting him have time to rest.

Eyes upturned to the soft blue rays of the moon tremble with the heartache of loss. Head lowering, the lord watches as his teardrops fall and gather on the stone window seal, "I promised I would return... I promised I would... but... I was too late... I failed you... please forgive me... I will soon join you... when I avenge your death... my life will be complete, and I will join you, I will once again return to you, in the afterlife..." Turning away from the window, the lord climbs into his bed, slipping under the silk sheets and into a slumber, one that would be filled with pain and angst, the first time he would have a nightmare, one that to his dismay, would be reoccurring for years to come.


	12. The Hunt

The maiden in the white flowered kimono made it to her destination finally the town almost lifeless no one was outside the lights from the candles were very dull. She made her way to the cabin she stayed in her child sleeping struggling for air as she laid the angel down to tend to her child trying to calm her down as much as she could. "...I brought help for you and the other children..."

Several long hours, or was it days, had passed since the girl he'd known as his wife in the past had taken the girl with black wings from him. His mind was focusing on but one thing, the retrieval of the angel, the black winged miracle, making him forget everything else, including how long he'd been following their trail. His horse walked slowly, tired from the long run, the lord atop it dropping from it's back to tie it off to a tree, "Rest noble friend... I'm sorry for pushing you... I just can't allow myself to lose another... to lose another that I care for..."

The little girl was held in her mother's arms coughing hard her body shaking from every cough. "...Mommy it hurts so bad..."

Setting up camp, he builds a fire, preparing to stay for the night to allow his faithful companion of many years, the snow white steed, to rest, knowing he'd be able to continue on the trail tomorrow, hoping by then it wouldn't be too late. As the night falls behind the trees a song could be heard coming from the mountain.

Still dressed in his full armor, sword between his legs hugged against his chest, he stares into the dancing flames of the fire, the song beginning to drift into his ears. The tone began to change drastically to sadness. "...Children run... the night will only take thy away... When morning comes your life belongs to him..."

His head lowers slowly as he continues to stare into the dancing flames, his eyes shaking ever so slightly, "Why... why do you do this to me fate... what sick game do you play with my life..."

Her child was finally able to sleep after her mother showed her small wooden box that held broken glass that shimmered in the moonlight the shape when placed together was that of a jeweled turtle. Laying down close to the fire, the lord's arms hold his katana close, orbs of blue being hidden behind the soft lids of flesh. "I'm coming... I'm coming for you... please, wait for me..." The song soon faded soon the night was chased by a golden orb rising in the east.

As the sun began to rise in the east, the man's eyes slowly opened, glancing to his horse that stood tall against the morning sun. "Good morning friend... I hope you rested well, we've got another long day ahead of us...," he says as he slowly begins to stand, glancing down at the extinguished coals as he places his katana back under his belt and walks towards the horse. After her child was in a deep peaceful sleep she stood quietly walking to the girl with the night colored wings starting to change the soiled bloodied bandages the bandage slowly humming.

Slinging his leg over the horses back, taking his seat in the saddle, he grips the reigns, giving them a light flick to signal for the horse to begin a slow pace towards the mountains, keeping to the trail left behind by those they followed, the trail left by the wings dragging along the ground. The winged girl's eyes opened slowly to reveal a dark dull color in her orbs as she sat up on the blanket. The horse keeps it's slow pace, the lord not pushing the horse as he had done the previous times, wanting to allow the horse to rest it's old frame, not wishing to harm one that was so faithful to him when so many things had gone so wrong.

The maiden smiled at the girl pushing her back slowly wanting her to rest fully as she covered her slowly with a blanket the maiden walking back to her bed laying beside her sick child. "...I promise to never let anything happen..."

Stopping near a stream, the man dismounts from the horse, leading it to the cool, clear water to allow it to drink, kneeling down himself and drinking from the water, allowing it to nourish his healing body, as he'd not eaten since he began his search. Her little girl began to cough badly again her mother pulling the child to her chest letting the girl struggle to sleep that way trying to help her breath starting to hum softly into her ear.

After taking a moment to drink, the man climbs back on the horse, this time requesting a faster speed of the beast, a light kick to the rear flanks sending the horse into a quickened trot, "Please wait for me... please... don't leave me... I'll do anything to not have to lose you..."

She ran her fingers through the child's dirty brown hair the child holding tightly to the box coughing madly still. Urging the horse to increase its pace, he looks ahead towards the mountains as they draw nearer, orbs of blue seeming to sadden as though he could feel the girl's pain, "Please, please don't go..." The maiden places both arms tightly around her child tears rolling down slowly. In the distance from the hut can be heard the loud clap of hooves against the hard ground, the man's eyes shaking more as he grows nearer still to the mountains. She remained where she sat her child finally able to sleep again. As he nears the rocky wall of the mountain, he looks around, face saddening as he at first doesn't see anything, as if the pair had disappeared. "NO! Please don't go!"

The maiden's ears pick up at his sound tears rolling down. "...Not yet..."

Tying the horse's reigns to a nearby tree, he paces alongside the mountain for a little ways, looking for any signs of a village, still not seeing it yet. A child's voice could be heard from the bushes that hide the village the sound the same as the one who sang the night before.

Just as he'd fallen to his knees in sadness at losing the trail, once more losing all that he held dear, he begins to hear the voice from the previous night. "Wh... Who's there...?" The child began to sing once again as the voice began to trail off towards the village. Lifting his head to the sound of the voice trailing away, he jumps to his feet, tossing down his helmet that he'd taken into his hands as he'd dropped to his knees. "No wait, don't go!" he yells as he chases after the sound of the voice, leading him to some bushes. Pushing them aside, he slowly steps into the village, eyes looking left and right at the huts hidden in the mountains. No sound could really be heard from in of the huts except small cries from the nearest hut.

Lifting his left hand to his hip, he grips the hilt of his katana, keeping it steady incase he came to need it in a hurry. Slowly making his way towards the hut, he lifts his right hand, placing it to the door and giving it a light push. The small child in her arms continued to cry from the pain her eyes opening slowly her blue eyes looking into the man's her eyes the same as his. His eyes fall on the crying child, finding their way to her own eyes and locking onto them. He could see and sense her pain, feeling that there was no threat within the room, he releases his katana and begins to make his way towards the bed.


	13. The Truth Revealed, a Warrior Broken

"...Please I need the girl to heal the children if I don't not only mine, but the other parents children..." The maiden spoke sadly as she looked up to him the child's eyes closing slowly. Glancing to the woman in the flowered kimono, his eyes widen a bit, "Your... your child...?" As he reaches the side of the bed he drops to a knee, looking at the child once more, his voice almost seeming to fail him, making his words barely even a whisper, "What ill's her...?"

"...What are you doing...?" Her eyes watched the man holding her child against her chest the child breathing weakly again.

"This child... what illness has befallen her..." he says as he looks over the girl, finding her to look almost exactly like his wife as he remembered her.

"...I am not sure... I think the children were playing in the woods... then something happened..." her eyes watch him carefully.

Slowly lifting his arms, he lays them upon the bed, his gentle hands brushing against the hand of the small girl, his eyes seeming to sadden a bit, "What does the winged girl hold that can heal her...?"

"... If the feathers are burned and inhaled then the children bodies will heal finally allowing them to rest without any pain..."

Slowly taking the girl's hand between his hands, he feels of her skin, feeling the warmth radiating from her body from fever. "The winged one won't be harmed...?"

"...I only need her feathers for the children..." The girl lays still no strength in her hand at all.

Nodding softly, he lightly brushes his thumb over the back of the girls hand, as if trying to comfort her. "How old is she...?"

"...Six, but what does it matter to you...?" She looked at the man curiously.

The man's eyes widen a bit as they look at the child still, Could she possibly be... she looks just like her... and the age is right... he thought. "I was merely curious... I would have had a daughter about her age... but..." his voice just trails off, continuing to try to comfort the small girl. The child laid motionless as a man walked in slowly.

The sound of boots on the floor draw the lord's attention from the child, though his hands remain, continuing to gently caress the child's hand, wishing her to be well.

"Get your hands off my daughter now you filthy vermin!" His hand immediately goes to sword drawing quickly the light shining through show the man's features that of his deceased wife's brother.

Not releasing the girl, he narrows his eyes at the man, "You... you murderous bastard... you sent your armies to my kingdom, you took my wife... your sister... and you killed her!"

The girl looked at the stranger that held her child's hand soon smacking him hard across the face. "That's why you came for revenge!"

Lowering his head, he shakes his slowly, slowly lifting it to look at the one that'd slapped him, his eyes shaking lightly with welling tears, "Why did you take her from me... why did you take your own sister's life...?" Lowering his head again, he places it on the bed.

He smirked as he moved his hair out of his eyes. "Whose to say I didn't let her live..."

"I watched her die! I watched your men slit her throat!" his body shakes a bit with sobs, "I would have had a daughter the same age as this girl..."

"Who's to say that you don't."

Releasing the girl's hand, he quickly pushes himself to his feet, glaring at the man, "You killed my wife and child, in front of my eyes! Death says I have neither!"

He smirks shaking his head. "To bad now leave here now and let my wife and child rest."

"I came for the winged girl... I will not leave without her..." he says his eyes lowering to the girl again before slowly closing. "This girl looks just like my wife... identical in almost every way... she's beautiful... Use the feathers as you must... for the children... then I'll take the winged one and be on my way..."

"Come back in three days then you can have the girl back." Leans against the wall of the cabin watching the man closely. "Now leave my wife and child be..."

His eyes lift to the male, narrowing a bit, "After what you did to my wife six years ago... I have no intention of leaving the winged one with you alone... I will be staying in the village until I am able to leave with her."

"Get out or I will slay you." The maiden looked to the man sadly her eyes lowering halfway just as his wife's would.

Glancing down at the woman who was looking up at him, he shakes his head to rid himself of the feeling he felt, an odd feeling that made him feel as though he knew her. "I will not leave the girl... you've taken my wife... you've taken my child... I won't let you take the only person I have left..."

"What a motionless creature that will never know love just like my sister felt..."

"You're wrong... your sister did love me and your family hated that fact. That's why you killed her..." he says as he lowers his eyes and looks to the child and mother again, feeling himself wanting to cry the two seeming so familiar that his thoughts of his wife began to haunt his restless mind.

"You killed your wife you let her burn in the fires of hell." He started twisting his words knowing his wife would take his side more instead of her real husband.

"You lying bastard... your men slit her throat in front of my eyes... I still have the scars from their cowardly attacks against me when I tried to take her body... I watched her blood flow down those steps... those steps that YOU set ablaze to stop me from taking her body..."

"...And if you were the man you say you were you would have saved her body..., but you didn't did you... you just ran at least I came and saved my wife from when she was kidnapped and she still managed to have our child..." The man spoke so sincerely through his lying teeth.

His body drops to one knee, hands cupping his head as he fights the memories that haunted him, images flashing in his mind of the pain from the flames, the pain of watching his wife die. "How could I have saved her body... your men attacked me from behind like the cowards your clan was! I have the scar in my back from the sword I was impaled with... I barely survived the attack... had it not been for my horse being the loyal beast he is, I would have died in the forests between our kingdoms..."

The man smirked. "Oh was your loyal beast white?"

His breathing begins to grow heavy, the emotional strain from the memories beginning to take its toll on his body. Eyes fluttering, he places one hand on the edge of the bed, the other on his knee as he remains kneeled on one knee.

"I thought it was a rogue beast in the forest well you have two feet use them." The maiden looked to the man sadly not really understanding what was going on between the two her eyes swelling as tears rolled down her face as the child struggled for breath again.

His head swimming begins to sway a bit, pain wracking his body as he relives every injury he took during the fight, every aching moment in the flames. "You... bastard... you knew it wasn't a rogue beast... what rogue beast wears empyreal crimson armor..."

"One that has escaped his brutal master..."

"You've taken everything from me... my wife... my child... the winged girl... and now my loyal horse... one that has never once let me down... just as I've never let him down..."

"You let your wife down that only wished for a child.."

"Hold your tongue snake! Your cowardly ninjas kidnapped her from my castle while your real warriors lost their lives on the field of battle! There was nothing I could do to stop such cowardice, my warriors code of honor... something you wouldn't understand... keeps me on the battle field with my men."

"You mean the ones you no longer have." The man smirked as he walked toward the man on his knees.

"Hold thy tongue before I remove it... my men died honorably face to face with the enemy... it's more than I can say for yours so many years ago."

"At least I was not the only man left alive like you were because you ran after a stupid wench."

"No, you're right, you were left with your men because you were too much of a coward and stay to fight alongside the rest of your family. You left and let them die in your stead."

Shrugs lightly. "Your angry cause I have a beautiful wife she has such a perfect feature seems familiar doesn't it."

Smirking a bit though he still hurt immensely, he lifts his head to look at the man, "Yea, she looks like your sister. Odd practices your family follows, running away while your brothers and sisters die, and marrying women that look like your sister... did you really miss your sister so much that you had to replace her with one that resembled her?"

He leaned down whispering into his ear softly. "Did I replace my sister..." He smirked.

"You must have... since your sister died by your own cowardly hands... forked tongue bastard."

"...I brought your pitiful wife back she's my wife now..." He leaned up the maiden still in the corner of the bed with the child now.

His breath seems to catch in his throat at the man's words, "A... Ayame...?" His voice soft, barely above a

The young maiden looked to him. "How do you know my name I never told you…"

"What sorcery is this... it's not possible to revive the dead..." he says as he drops down further, both knees now on the ground as his eyes well with tears, locked on the woman.

She watched him still. "How do you know my name?"

"Ayame... you... it is you... you're... and this..." his hands move to the girl, "This is our..." slight trails of tears begin to fall down his cheeks.

The man grabs his arm quickly. "Keep your hands off my wife and child..."

"Unhand me fiend! What form of sorcery have you used to revive my Ayame and our daughter?"

The maiden quickly moved picking her weak child up moving behind her brother husband not understanding what was happening.

"Aya... Ayame... you don't... don't remember me at all...? I am in no way familiar to you...?" he asks as he lowers his head.

"...No why are you doing this to my family?" The young maiden said looking at him sadly.

Slowly standing, he places his right hand across his stomach, suddenly feeling sick. "Why must fate be such a cruel mistress..." he says as he stumbles a bit, making his way to the door of the hut. She stayed silent watching him shaking.

Stopping at the door, he looks back at her once more, "I am sorry... I failed you... forgive me..." Not waiting for a reply from her, he turns and exits the building, moving across the village with his arm still folded around his stomach.

She looked up to the man that she had known as her husband. "...I do not understand..."

After walking for several minutes, he reaches the outer edge of the village, his body leaning against a tree before sliding down, collapsing into a seated position. "Why... why do you do this to me... why me!" he yells out his question to the wind, directing it at fate.

"...Love what was he talking about have you two met before?" She looked up to him questioning him.

Pulling his katana from its sheathe, he examines the blade, dragging his finger along the blood groove that lined the back edge of the blade, the stains of shed blood still prominent within the shallow channel. "Give me one reason... just one..." he says as he lowers the blade close to his stomach, so distraught that he had began to ponder hara-kiri.

The man didn't answer her she left the room as she walked out into the snow her child covered in a blanket looking for the man. "...Where are you?" Head still down turned, he presses the tip of his blade to he stomach area of his armor, closing his eyes in preparation to end it all when he hears her voice. Cursing his weakness, he drops the blade, grabbing his head in his hands. She continued looking for the man worried now she had not lost her kind heart even after her death. Standing slowly with his right arm still curled around his stomach, he kicks his katana away from him, the blade bouncing on the ground making enough noise to draw her attention.

Her eyes draw to the sword that held the small amount of blood walking slowly toward his resting spot. Before kneeling down. "... Why did you leave...?"

"Ayame... why are you out here... you should be inside with ou... your daughter..." he says, head lowering a bit, "she shouldn't be out in this weather... she's sick..." Turning his back to her slowly, he resists the tears welling in his eyes, knowing she didn't remember him was more painful than any injury he'd ever incurred in battle.

"...My husband I know he's a cruel man, but he told me that I feel in love with him because of that..."

"Nothing is safe in my hands... I couldn't even protect yo... my wife... I've lost everything in my life... my wife... my unborn daughter... my kingdom... my horse... all but my own life..." Sniffling slightly, he turns to face her, holding back his tears, "Unlike your b... husband... you have a kind soul... the people of this village are blessed..."

"...If they are so blessed then why have so many children died so far..." Tears roll down slowly.

"You didn't have the cure before... you have it now... the winged girl is your cure... and I was trying to take her away..." Stepping to the woman, he slowly kneels to one knee and bows his head to her, "Please... care for her in my stead... everything I touch meets a cruel end... she deserves better..."

"You saved her from the men did you not?" She spoke quietly the little girl opening her eyes meeting his once again.

"A misplaced fox trap saved her... her getting caught in that trap is what saved me from certain death..." he says softly, his eyes falling into contact with the little girl's.

A weak smile slide across her pale lips before her eyes closed slowly. "You still saved her you were willing to."

"She's practically dead now... her soul is gone... like I said... everything I touch dies... I refused to fight her... she was going to kill me... I... I welcomed death at her hands... but as usual... fate left me to live... and took her..."

"...I took her from you..." Tears roll down slowly before turning away feeling guilty for what she did to him. "... I am sorry my husband killed your wife and unborn child."

"He is a devil... he took my Ayame from me... took her life... his own sister..." he says softly, remaining on his knee. Slowly standing, he places his hand on her shoulder, "Please do not blame yourself... you were a tool used by fate... fate placed you in that forest... fate brought you to save me... fate is the one whom brings my pain, not you."

Tears continued to fall from her porcelain cheeks. "...I carry pain of those children I failed... I can never give those parents back what they have lost..."

"Ayame..." he says softly as he holds his hand on her shoulder, this being the first time he'd touched her since they were married nearly seven years before. Almost as if instinctively, he pulled on her shoulder to make her face him and pulled her closer to himself, feeling the child between them breaking their contact...


	14. Restless Dreamer

The maiden's eyes closed slowly resting her head on his chest gently. "I... I'm sorry..." he softly says as he finds himself holding her still, not wanting to involve her in his life, knowing in his mind that it would only lead to her demise again, even though his heart yearned for her to remember him. "I... you just... remind me of someone... someone very special to me... that... fell prey to my ill fated hands... she was the first of many to die because they got close to me..."

"...I'm sorry my husband killed your wife... if I had known the angel was someone you cared for... I wouldn't have taken her like that..." Tears roll down.

His right hand moving to the back of her head, holds it to his chest for a moment longer, "Please don't cry... the threads of fate surround me heavily... had it not been you taking her for the good of this village... she would have surely met a much more horrible fate if she'd continued traveling with me... she is safe here... unlike if she was with me... unlike anyone would be if they were with me."

"...You can stay here in this village if you have no where to go... I can find you a hut and supply you with food for awhile."

Slowly releasing his fingers from the back of her head, letting them trail lightly through her hair as he pulled his hand away, he looks down into her eyes, "You're heart is large... your kindness a rare thing in these times... but I cannot allow myself to be a burden..." Finding himself at the verge of tearing up, he diverts his eyes a bit, knowing that looking into her eyes was only causing him more pain, "I will stay here... but I will tend myself... and help out around the village.. in payment for your kindness..."

She nodded lightly. "There is a vacant hut near ours you can stay in please let me make you a few meals you look like your starving."

His eyes dance slightly in the light, the bottoms shining a bit with the welling tears he finds impossible to restrain, "Tha... thank you... but..." His voice almost seeming to fail, he manages to say "thank you" once more before letting her go, finding it hard to continue holding her, the pain in his chest aching as though his heart had been ripped from his body. She stepped back to give him room the child sleeping peacefully for once. Breathing deeply, he closes his eyes and lowers his head a bit, "I... I think I could use some rest... more than food... I suddenly feel a little weak..."

She nodded lightly. "I'll lead you to your new home then."

Nodding his head slowly, he moves to gather his katana, resheathing it before stepping back to her, "After you m'lady..." She nodded as she started to walk toward the huts. Following her slowly, he watches her closely, watching how she held herself, and her posture, knowing more and more that it was indeed his wife from the way she acted. Eyes lowering a bit, he sighs silently to himself before looking up once more, following her closely to his hut.

She stopped in front of a hut near hers opening the matting to allow him in. Bowing his head slightly, he steps into the quiet, empty hut. Turning back to her, he bows again, "Thank you again..."

"Your welcome its the least I can do for you... for what my husband and I did to you..."

Lowering his head a bit, he steps to the door and places his hand on her shoulder once more, "Please... you've done nothing wrong... don't blame yourself..." Slowly stepping back and turning away from her, he looks to the bed, "You saved my life... your heart is pure and kind... your intention wasn't to hurt anyone..."

She nodded sadly. "...She can stay in your room so you are not lonely..."

Shaking his head slowly, he turns to her and forcing a smile looks to her, "I appreciate the gesture... but your daughter needs her... I will be fine here"  
"...If you need anything I will help you." She petted his cheek softly. "I will bring you some supper after awhile."

"Th... thank you..." he says as he slowly draws himself away from her caress, moving towards the bed, his hands removing his armor.

She bowed to him before she left the hut walking out to her hut entering laying her child down gently.

Not bothering to undress any further since he was in an unfamiliar place, he climbs into the bed, hugging his katana to his chest, covering himself with a fur.

Her husband looked down at her. "You allowed him to enter our village!" She looked up to him before he grabbed her by her wrist. Laying on the bed, he finds himself unable to sleep, his eyes open staring at the back wall.

Tears rolled down her face. "He has no where to go..." Rolling onto his back, he stares up at the ceiling now, his gut twisting inside, as if trying to tell him something, though he could just as easily mistake it for hunger sine, as she'd pointed out, he hadn't eaten in several days.

"If he brings trouble you are the one to blame!" He spoke coldly to her.

Holding his katana close to his chest, he slowly rolls onto his side once more, closing his eyes fully finally. She nodded lightly before her husband left the hut leaving her and the child. She moved to the fire pits starting to cook mixing water, meat, and vegetables in. Finally slipping into a slumber, his body begins to relax, though his arms do not, their grip on his katana still tight. She hummed softly as she cooked the meal trying to get her mind off what her husband said. His sleep starts out comfortable, though slowly it begins to slip into the dark confines of his mind, his eyes beginning to roll slightly behind the soft flesh lids. Tossing slightly, his body rolls onto his back, arms never relinquishing their grip on the weapon. She walked in silently to wake him for his meal placing her soft porcelain hand to his face. "No, Ayame!" he yells out just as her hand touches his face, his eyes shooting open, body quickly reacting, sitting up on the bed, breathing rapid and shallow, hair wet with sweat.

"... Are you ok... I'm sorry if I did something wrong..." She looked at him sadly.

Panting softly, he looks to her, his head lowering and shaking a bit, "No, no, you didn't do anything wrong... it was a nightmare... one I've lived with for six years..."

"...I'm sorry, but why did you say my name when you were asleep?"

His head still lowered, he turns on the bed, sitting on the edge of it. Slowly, he brushes his hand through his hair, feeling the sweat, "I... my wife's name was... Ayame..."

"The one my husband took from you?"

His head nods slowly before lifting up to look at her, his right hand pushing his hair out of his face, "Yes..."

"I am sorry for what he did to you..."

Smiling a bit, he shakes his head, "You've no reason to be... your husband does what he pleases.. as his family did for years before... nothing can change his ways..."

She nodded sadly. "I am part of that family and so is my child so we carry that burden as welll..."

"You're heart is too pure to be burdened by such... your husband is his own man... there is not you can do about it..." Slowly, he lays his katana on the bed at his side, looking to the food.

"You can with me and my daughter my husband will not be home for a long time."

"He's left the village?" he asks softly, confused as to what it was she says he could do as she didn't specify it. Smiling, he stands and stretches a bit, "What kind of man leaves his wife and sick daughter alone...?" he thinks to himself as he reaches for the sky, stretching his form.

"So will you join us for dinner?"

"Of course... I would be honored to join you in your home for dinner..." he says softly, turning to face her, his head bowing in a respectful manner. She nodded lightly as she walked out of the hut toward her own.  
Turning to face the bed, he gathers his weapon in his hands, slipping it's sheath beneath his belt. "Ayame... if only you knew the truth..." he says softly after he was sure she was gone, slowly following. She returned to her hut already sitting on the bed trying to get her child to eat her food. Walking in slowly, he glances to the child, eyes of blue showing an intense sadness as he looks over her, knowing she was his daughter, knowing she was his sick daughter, and there was nothing he could do, at least not that he could do and be able to ensure her safety. The child's eyes open slowly as she struggles to swallow her food. Diverting his eyes from those of the girl, he struggles to hold back the tears of a father in pain from watching his daughter suffer.

"...Your food is on the table..." She spoke silently.

Nodding softly, he moves towards the table, removing his katana and sitting it against the wall before kneeling beside the table. Bowing his head to the woman, he begins to slowly eat, watching her feed their daughter, finding his own appetite was growing smaller from the sheer pain of seeing the little girl he never knew suffer so.

"...Just one more little bit then you can lay down again..." The maiden kissed her child's forehead before the little girl swallowed what was in her mouth.

Taking a final bite of his food, he lightly places his chopsticks on the table beside his empty bowl, "I thank you for your hospitality Ayame... if there is anything I can do for you... please, let me know."

"... Eating dinner with us is thanks enough." She spoke silently her voice filled with sadness.

Bowing his head softly, he slowly stands, "Does the little girl need anything...?" he says s he makes his way slowly to the bed, looking onto his daughter with sad, loving, worried eyes.

She shook her head. "...No I need to get the feathers ready for tomorrow for them to heal the children..."

"If I may ask... why does it take an hour...?" he says slowly and softly, his body slowly kneeling down and placing his hand on the little girls cheek.

Her cheek was pale and ice cold. "...You mean the feathers..?"

Shaking his head a bit, he places his free hand on his own cheek, "I'm sorry... I meant to say why must it wait 'til tomorrow... my mind is still a bit confused... the nightmare has that effect on me..."

"...Its ok... the feathers need to be crushed into dust and will talke half the day or more..."

Lowering his head a bit, he reaches for the little girls hand and takes it in his own, giving it a gentle, caring squeeze. "If I may... I would like to offer my assistance... I will take the feathers and crush them through the night... the sooner the better... I cannot bare watching this beautiful little girl suffering"  
"...After what I did to get her you would still help me...?"

His head nods as he looks up to the mother of the child, his hand still gently holding the little girl's hand. "You're doing so much for me... and you've been so very hospitable... it would be an honor to do this task... and it's for the children... I cannot bare to deny them."

She nodded sadly. "Thank you so very much... you can take the girl with you she has already eaten."

Smiling softly, he slowly releases the little girl's hand and stands, "When you awake in the morning, the feathers will be ready... I assure you this." She nodded lightly smiling at him kindly. Gently placing his velvet like hand on her cheek, he smiles kindly to her as well, "I will not fail your daughter... she will suffer no more..." That said, he slowly releases her cheek and walks towards the winged girl, gently taking her arm in his hand to lead her. The girl stood silently her wings back. Leading her by the arm, he makes his way to the door, grabbing his katana along the way, "Good night m'lady... may you rest under the ever watchful eye of Buddha, and awaken with new found strength." With that, he turns, making his way out of the hut and towards his own, the black winged girl following close beside him... 


	15. Feathers of Darkness

The girl with the black wings looked up to the man her eyes cold and dark. Glancing down at her as they walked to his hut, he feigns a smile, though he knew it would have no effect on her soulless body. Pushing back the covering of the door, he leads her in, taking her to the bed to allow her to sit while he gathers a large bowl and crushing stone. She stared out the window of the hut kneeled down on the bed eyes half open. Walking back over to her side, he slowly kneels beside the bed, placing the bowl and crushing stone on the bed behind her back, just below her wings. "I apologize for this... I know you won't express any pain or discomfort... since you're but a puppet... but... I am truly sorry..." That said, he slowly grips the first feather, giving it a gentle but quick tug. She stayed still remaining silent. One by one, he plucks feathers from her wings, doing so evenly so as to not make them appear disfigured, rather enjoying the beauty of the angelic appearance of the miracle when she was her normal self. After plucking a row of feathers from each wing and placing them in the bowl, he gathers the bowl and stone. Sitting on the ground, he places the bowl in his lap and begins grinding the feathers into a dust, taking care to make sure that it was a fine powder. The girl didn't turn her head to watch him only continued to stare out the window her mouth opened, but closed not making a sound. He worked on the bowl of feathers for well over an hour, occasionally lifting his eyes to look at the girl and wipe the sweat from his brow. "I hope this heals the children..."

The maiden walked into the hut tears streaming down from her face holding a small bundle in her arms. Quickly, seeing the woman enter, he grabs the bowl and sits it to his side. Jumping to his feet, he begins to move towards her, "M'lady, what's the matter?"

"...My husband he never came home.. last night..."

"I see... perhaps he was caught in the storm and forced to camp for the night..." Looking to the bundle in her arms, he smiles a bit.

She nodded lightly. "...You don't think he was mad at me and never came back because of it do you..?"

"Surely not m'lady... t'would be a fool to leave you alone over such a petty thing as asking questions out of confusion..." Smiling at her kindly, he points to the bowl, "I've got a bowl completely filled with fine dust of the black wings... how much more will you require?"

She walked over slowly looking in the bowl nodding lightly. "That is more then enough for the young ones."

"I've worked to achieve that through the night, not once did I stop to rest for more than mere seconds before I continued my task, I hope it serves it's purpose..." Slowly, he walks over beside her and gathers the bowl in his arms, "Shall we proceed?"

"... In the morning let the children rest a little longer."

"Of course..." he says as he takes the bowl to a table and places it near the wall so it would be safe from spilling. "Is there anything more I can do for you m'lady?"

She shook her head sadly. "No I'm sorry I came in and bothered you..." She bowed before she walked back to her hut slowly.

Catching her by the shoulder lightly, before she left, he smiles to her with a kind and gentle smile, "Please don't think of it as a bother m'lady... truth be told, I was pleased to have you visit as it was pleasurable to have someone to converse with." She nodded lightly looking up to him the child's eyes closed breathing weakly.

Gently placing his left hand upon the top of the child's head, he gives her hair a light stroke, "She looks so weak... m'lady... we could treat her now... a handful of the dust should be enough for a single child... right?"

She shakes her head. "All children will be treated as the same my child will be no different."

His head lowers a bit, nodding slowly, "I'm sorry m'lady... you're right, no child should be treated any different than the other..."

"... I'm sorry I even came and bugged you." She looked toward the hut entrance sadly.

"I assure you... you've caused me no disruption... it was a pleasure speaking with you..." He says as he stands behind her, sadly looking to the back of her head, wishing he could just hold her, wanting to have her with him once more.

"... I'll get your breakfast ready for you now get some rest before the sun comes up ok?"

Bowing slightly, he nods his head a bit, slowly standing back up and looking to her again, "Of course m'lady... if you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me, I am at your service, in repayment for your hospitality."

"...What you have done with the medicine foe the children is more then enough help..."

"Even still... I offer my services for so long as I stay in this village... please do not hesitate to request anything of me... it would be an honor for me to aide you."

She nodded lightly. "Thank you kind sir..."

Slowly, he moves around her and pulls back the mat that covers the doorway, bowing to her, "I'm sorry for keeping you as you were trying to leave... you have things you must tend to and I do not wish to hold you back from them."

"I enjoyed talking to you I doubt when my husband comes back I will be allowed to talk to you like this.."

Nodding softly, he glances out the door a bit, "I understand m'lady... but it was a pleasure while it lasted... perhaps we will be able to hold such a conversation again another time... for now, I will rest in preparation for healing the children..."

"Thank you for being so kind to a woman and a village full of sick children you never met before..."

"I owe you for saving my life... and for your hospitality to a lone traveler... it is a pleasure to be able to help you and your village in return." Nods lightly smiling to him kindly.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay here... it gets kind of lonely traveling the lands with no real place to go." Smiling to her, he bows again, staying bowed as he holds open the door, not really wanting her to go, but knowing she needed to do things before they began to heal the children at sunrise.

"Thank you." She bowed to him sadly before she entered the hut laying the bundled down softly. Smiling somewhat sadly, he watches her, slowly letting the mat fall back over the door. Looking down a bit, he lets out a soft sigh, softly whispering so she wouldn't hear him as he walked back to his own hut, "Ayame... I wish you could remember me and we could leave this place... I can't believe what fate has shown me... you live yet you were dead... the pain of being here with you though I cannot be with you is worse than the sword in my back when I lost you... but I can't bring myself to leave..." The moonlight came through the window the angel's wings glossing in the moonlight as she slept. Laying in the bed with the angel, he finds himself unable to sleep, merely watching her soft black wings glisten in the soft blue light of the moon. "So many things have changed since you came into my life... the threads of fate entangle you like a spiders web do small insects... pulling at the strings of others and bringing about huge turns of events..." The girl laid down on the bedding closing her eyes fully now as she laid motionless breathing weakly.

Slowly reaching out, he brushes his fingers over one of the velvet like black feathers, head tilting a bit as he did so, "So angelic... yet being used by humans... sad really..." She made no sound her eyes remained closed as she rolled on her stomach the collar visible now. Running his fingers up her wings, he slides his hand down to the collar, lightly touching it with the tips of his fingers as he had her wings, "Don't worry... as soon as the children are well... I will remove this from you... and we will begin to find a way to get your soul back..." The sun rose slowly the maiden cooked silently in her home the child laying motionless. Seeing the rising of the morning sun, the man slowly sits up on the bed, having gotten no rest at all he yawns lightly. Giving the face of the winged one a gentle petting, he stands and moves to the table, gathering the powdered feathers and exiting the hut, moving to Ayame's hut. The maiden had set his bowl on the table she was already struggling to feed her child. Entering, he places the bowl of dust on a table near the door, bowing to the lady feeding her child. "Good morn m'lady... I am ready to begin with the children as soon as you are."

"Eat first kind sir then we will." She spoke sadly.

"Of course," he says softly, bowing to her again before taking his seat on the floor at the table, sitting upon his knees with chopsticks in hand. "It tastes and smells great, you're a wonderful cook."

She blushed lightly. "Thank you for the compliment..." the child struggled to chew the pieces of carrots.

Smiling up at her, he continues to eat his food slowly, though his appetite was small, wanting to end the child's suffering weighing heavily on his mind. The child finally finished her carrots finally her eyes open weakly her blue eyes faded.

Looking to the eyes of the young one, his appetite fully fades, his hands laying his chopsticks on the table, "That was delicious m'lady... pity I was unable to eat it all but I am not very hungry this morn... I do thank you for the meal though."

She nodded lightly as she stood with her child. "I guess we should head out."

Bowing lightly, he nods his head softly, "The children are in need, we should begin now."

She laid her child down on the bed gently. "I will gather the children in here then."

Nodding his head softly, he moves to the cooking area, removing the pot that hung above the fire pit, "I will prepare the fire, we will do this for the children, haste is of essence for their suffering is not something a child should have to endure." She nodded quickly moving out to the other huts. Kneeling over the pit, he begins to build up a fire from the still hot coals from the cooking fire, working quickly. The child coughs badly shaking every time her eyes closed tightly. After building the fire up, he stands slowly, looking to the child with eyes filled with sadness, "Hold on little one... you will be better soon... my darling daughter..." Moving to her slowly, he leans down, gathering her into his left arm and holding her gently before moving to the bowl and picking it up, carrying it back to the fire, placing it on the floor nearby, awaiting the return of Ayame. The child held on weakly her body almost motionless against his her mother entered slowly among other parents with their sick children. Gently brushing his fingers against the cheek of the little girl, he smiles down to her, his eyes saddened visibly. "Soon you will be strong... full of life and able to live as a child should..."The children were placed on mats on the ground to rest. Keeping the girl in his arms, he looks up to Ayame, nodding his head softly, "Are we ready to begin m'lady?" Looking down at the girl, he awaits the woman's reply, his free hand on the bowl, preparing to pour its contents upon the fire.

She nodded lightly. "Yes these are all the children that managed to survive the illness..."

Nodding softly once more, he takes the bowl, lifting it near the fire. "May the threads of fate find the use of these feathers, given us by the angelic one, worthy, spreading wellness to the ill children of this village..." he says aloud as he turns the bowl up, the powdered feathers pouring slowly into the fire. As the last of the dust falls into the flames, a slight flash occurs, the flame growing to twice it's original size, the ashes of the feathers beginning to float about the room, giving off a gentle white light... could this be the healing power of the feathers of darkness...? 


	16. Letting Go

The children inhaled the feathers weakly their eyes openning weakly.

Glancing down to the young girl he held, his own daughter though she would never know the truth, he watches as the soft light eminating from the ash of the feathers disappears as she breathes it in. Smiling down at her softly, he watches as her eyes open, her deep blue eyes staring back into his own.

She smiled giggling lightly in his arms as she looked around for her mother who held her arms out.

Looking up to Ayame slowly, he notices her outstretched arms and looks back to the young child, "Your mother awaits, go to her, with newfound strength, let your legs carry you to the one that loves you with all her heart."

She shook her head as the mother picked her up out of his arms. "She does not have the ability to use her legs."

Head lowering at the new knowledge that his daughter was unable to walk, he shakes his head a bit, "I'm sorry... I didn't know..."

"Its not your fault..." She spoke sadly as the little one curled up against her smiling.

Slowly standing, he faces her with a bit of a sad smile, bowing softly, "If you'll pardon me m'lady... I should take some food to the winged one and check on her... should you need me please don't hesitate to call."

She nodded lightly. "the food on the stove should be enough for her." The parents leave with their children in hand.

Going to the wood burning stove near the back of the hut, he takes a bowl and fills it with the warm food. Again bowing to the lady, his wife from the past, he makes his way out of her hut behind the other parents and returns to his hut, eyes shaking with welled up tears that he held back.

The angel lay asleep still her breathing shallow.

As he entered the hut, his eyes fell on the sleeping girl, a soft smile spreading over otherwise saddened lips, giving a little softer look to his face. "You must be really tired..." he says in a low, soft voice as he moves to the bed, slowly kneeling beside it, placing the bowl of food on a small table nearby.

Children can finally be heard playing outside the huts a small one sitting under a tree playing with a soft doll.

Reaching over to the face of the girl, he lightly drags the tips of his fingers over her cheek, pushing back her soft hair to expose the collar. "This... this thing... is all that binds you to life... isn't it...? Your soul gone... you're but a doll... if I remove it... would you breathe your last... would I again be alone in this world...?"

The girl's eyes open slowly looking up to him, her eyes dull, yet glistening.

Catching himself almost becoming lost in her eyes, he looks down and away a bit, slowly moving his other hand to her neck beneath her, both hands reaching to the back of her neck, searching for the clasp that held on the collar, "You suffer... dead yet unable to die... souless, yet breathing... you deserve... to be free..." he says slow and soft, his voice filled with pain and sadness.

She just looked toward the man her eyes lost in her brown hued orbs.

Slowly lifting his eyes back up, he looks into the deep brown of her eyes, sighing softly, a few tears gathering along the bottoms of his eyes. "Farewell... dear angel of Earth... may your body be free... and your afterlife peaceful..." Lowering his head once more, he places his forehead on the edge of the bed, slowly releasing the clasp of the collar, not wanting to watch the last thing he had left slip away.

Her eyes close slowly as she laid down on the beddding her breathing slowing.

Fully removing the collar, he stands and turns away, moving to the door with the black object still in hand, the tears running down his face as he walks out the door, sliding down agaisnt the outside wall of the hut.

The little girl looks up from where she sat under the tree crawling to him weakly her legs dragging behind her on the rough soil.

His eyes don't see her coming as they look down at his hands, holding the collar there, tears dripping from his eyes onto the soft black object.

The girl pushed herself up as she tried to look into his eyes, "What is wrong?"

Slowly lifting his head, he looks to the little girl, trying to smile and assure her there was nothing wrong, but finding it impossible. "You're looking better... so much healthier... it's good to see you outside..." he says to the little girl in a soft tone, trying to change the topic as he folds the collar up and clenches it in his left hand.

She looked to the collar curiously soon holding up her doll for him. "You can hold her she makes me happy when I am sad." Soon looking up to him her blue orbs looking up to his.

The innocence of the little one brought a slight smile to his lips as he reached out with his right arm, folding it around her and picking her up to let her sit against him, "You're very thoughtful little one, thank you, how about I hold you and her at the same time, maybe I'll cheer up faster."

Nods lightly as she ran her fingers through the dolls yarn hair.

"She's very pretty, just like you," he says with a soft tone, using his left hand that holds the collar to wipe away a few tears from his eyes, smiling slightly down at the little girl.

Smiles back to him kindly holding her doll close yawning.

Gently patting her leg with the arm that remained folded around her, he smiles, "Are you getting tired?"

She shook her head even though she was growing tired.

Reaching up slowly, he begins to gently brush his hand against the side of her head, fingers lightly slipping through her hair like a father would a daughter, "Hmm, your eyes say otherwise," he says with a soft chuckle.

"I'm sorry..." Rubs her eyes showing her eyes are tired as she cuddles close.

"No need to be sorry little one, you probably haven't had a good nights sleep in a long time... you deserve a good rest." Smiling, he holds the little girl close to his chest, letting her rest her head against it as he drops his left arm to his side, holding the collar still.

Her eyes close as she rests her head against him sleeping silently.

Leaning his head down a bit, he lets his cheek rest atop her head. Smiling softly, he holds the girl close and gentle, letting her sleep in his lap, against his chest.

The maiden walks out looking around for her child.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, he slowly lifts his head and turns it to look at the lady, smiling as he nods his head downward to direct her attention to the sleeping child.

She stops looking to him smileing at him a bit nodding before she went back to her hut starting to cook.

Making sure he was holding the girl close, he slowly stands, moving his left arm beneath her to help hold her still, the collar slightly showing in his hand though he tries to keep it hidden. Slowly, carrying the sleeping girl, he moves to Ayame's hut.

She stirs the vegitables in the milk in the stew bowls already set out for them.

Carrying the child gently in his arms, he moves to the table, slowly taking a seat, not wanting to wake her. "Smells good m'lady."

"I am glad you think so sir." She looks up to him then notices the collar.

Continuing to hold the girl, he lightly pushes some of her hair back from her face with his hand, his arm not moving too much though for not wanting to disrupt her sleep.

"...I see you let her go..."

"Hmmm...? Oh... the collar..." his eyes lowered, his voice becoming sad once more as he stared at the table, "I couldn't bare watching her souless body... I... I felt like her body deserved to be free... like her soul..."

Ayame's head nods lightly looking up to him. "...I am sorry..."

"Don't be... you were doing what you thought to be right... you saved me from dieing by her hands... I just wish... I could have saved her from dieing at mine..." His eyes begin to tear up again as he looked down at the collar, "I couldn't watch her leave this world... she's in my hut... in my bed..."

"...If you watch the food and my child I wil get some men to come get her body to be buried..." Ayame said in a soft tone.

"No... I... I will bury her in the morning... if that is alright with you..." he says softly, his head still downturned, voice sad and sounding as though he were in pain.

She nodded lightly. "Ok."

He was unsure if she was truly gone, as he hadn't watched her die, but he had a gut feeling and a pain in his heart saying he was alone once again. His eyes shed tears, some of them lightly falling on the legs of the little girl.

The maiden watched him, eyes filling with sadness.

His eyes closed slowly, causing a few more tears to drip down as he lifted his head, opening them to look at Ayame, trying to smile as he saw her sad face, not wanting to see her sad for him.

"I am sorry..." she says as she looks back to the soup stiring slowly.

His head shakes slowly as he pets the side of the little girl's head lightly, "No... please don't be... I will be alright... I'm alive thanks to you... and I have a place to stay thanks to you... you've done so much for me... I am grateful."

"You gave me back my little girl and I am thankful for that..." came the saddened voice of the maiden as she stirred the soup still.

"I am thankful that I... and the winged one... were able to heal a village of sick children... I'm sure that the winged one looks on from the afterlife with a smile at what her body was able to do... I'm sure she's smiling down on this village from the heavens..."

Nodding lightly, Ayame continues to stir the soup, "I hope so..."

Smiling up to Ayame, he nods his head as well, "The children are well... she is watching over them I am sure, for it is her that we have to be thankful for their well-being."

She nodded tears beginning to fall to the floor.

Slowly, he stands, dropping the collar on the floor. Holding the little girl in his right arm, he moves over to Ayame and places his left hand on her shoulder, "Please don't cry m'lady... t'is a time to rejoice... the new life that this village will take on with healthy children... the new hopes for a bright future..."

Tears continued to fall to the floor as Ayame spoke, "I took her from you how can you stay here..."

"Because of her, this village will live to see a new day... will live to see a bright and prosperous future... Though she cannot... I must stay... and see to it that the future of this village is not endangered... I am staying for her..." he says as he looks down to the little girl, "And for the other children of this village, to ensure that the sacrifice made by the winged one is not wasted..."

She nodded sadly, her eyes closeing.

Slowly, he lifts his right arm and folds it around her shoulders, drawing her into himself a bit, "Please, cry no more, I will be fine I assure you m'lady... so long as I have friends in this village, I will be fine..."

"...I will honor her every day..." came the sad, yet sweet voice of the woman.

Smiling a bit, he hugs her a bit closer, "Thank you... she will be happy to see this village grow I'm sure... we can honor her together... as she is... an angel, watching over us all."

She nodded lightly, looking down still.

Slowly letting her go and stepping back, he lifts his hand to her chin, lifting it to look into his eyes, "Thank you..."

"Your welcome..." spoke the tender voice of she that the man knew as his wife from the past.

Slowly drawing his hand away from her chin, he glances to the little girl, "I'm going to put her in bed and go prepare the angel for her burial..."

Eyes closing slowly, the maiden nods her head, beginning to stir the soup once more.

Slowly, he walks to the bed, laying the sleeping child upon it with gentle arms. "Rest well little one..." he says in a soft tone, brushing her hair back with his hand before smiling and bowing to Ayame. "I will return shortly for the food you are preparing.." he says before turning his back and walking to the door of the hut.

She nodded, continuing to prepare the food, "Ok hun..."

His motion comes to a stop at her last word, his head lowering a bit, but not enough for her to notice. Slowly pushing open the matting over the door, he steps out and begins a slow, sad walk to his hut.

As he approaches the hut, his eyes fall on a small pile of jet black feathers, a sadness in his eyes as he lowers his head and shakes it side to side. "They're kids... forgive them for taking your feathers... they are thankful to you I assure you... please don't be angry with them..." he whispers to the wind, thinking the children had done it. Slowly, he pulls back the mat over the door to his hut... 


End file.
